Alexander Isak and Bruno Fernandes, Early Victims of the Premier League's Cruel Winter Period.

The Premier League, England's top-tier competition, packs the busy weeks from Christmas to New Year with "festive fixtures," or festive matches. For fans, the best players in England are in action during the end-of-year holidays. However, the threat of hardship looms large for the "workers" on the pitch.

Liverpool's new striker, Alexander Isak, was unable to make it through the Premier League's festive period. Before he could celebrate his Boxing Day debut with the Reds, the Swedish striker collapsed. He suffered a serious ankle injury.

Tottenham Hotspur defender, Micky van de Ven, did not only cause Isak's ankle to swell. The collision in the 57th minute resulted in Isak suffering a fibula fracture. The fibula is the bone in the calf that connects to the ankle.

The injury required Isak to undergo surgery on Monday (December 22, 2025). He has since begun his recovery at Liverpool's training ground.

"After the diagnosis, a complete surgical procedure was performed today for the ankle injury, including a fracture of the fibula. Isak's rehabilitation will continue at the AXA Training Center with no specified timeframe for his return to competition," the club's official statement read on Monday night or early Tuesday (23/12/2025) WIB.

Referring to the Hartford Hospital website, Connecticut, United States, recovery from a broken fibula in the wrist requires a minimum of three months of rest.

With that potential absence duration, Isak will experience the longest period away from the green field since representing Newcastle United from February 2022 to January 2023. At that time, he was inactive for more than three months due to a thigh muscle injury.

Interestingly, a severe injury while representing Newcastle also occurred during his debut season after being recruited from Real Sociedad. Isak seems to need time to adapt to the new club. It is not just about understanding the new team's playstyle, but his body also needs to adjust to the new environment.

The ankle injury is a setback for Isak's physical issues that have been looming over him since the beginning of the 2025-2026 season. He was not included in Newcastle's Asia tour due to fitness concerns, leading him to train alone with Sociedad. At that time, Isak was diagnosed with a thigh muscle problem.

We've seen what we've been waiting for from him. A great finish. But now we wish Isak a speedy recovery.

This situation caused him to need two weeks since joining Liverpool on September 1, 2025, to get the opportunity to play. His debut with Liverpool occurred when facing Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on September 17.

The factor of fitness has prevented Isak from meeting his transfer value, which reaches 125 million pounds or approximately Rp 2.83 trillion. He has only scored two goals in the Premier League for the Reds. His first goal for Liverpool was against West Ham on November 30, and the second was against Spurs on December 21.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot expressed regret over the injury sustained by Isak. Moreover, the injury occurred just as Isak was beginning to showcase an improved performance with crucial goals contributed to the Spurs' net.

"We saw what we wanted from him. A good finish. But now we wish Isak a speedy recovery," Slot said in a press conference ahead of the Boxing Day match against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday (23/12/2025).

The injury sustained by Isak has further depleted Liverpool's attacking lineup. They have already lost Mohamed Salah, who is on national duty with the Egyptian national team at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Salah is expected to return after the turn of the year.

On the other hand, Cody Gakpo is still hindered by a muscle injury. The two backup wingers, Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha, have yet to earn Slot's trust.

The Dutch tactician will also be without Dominik Szoboszlai for the Boxing Day game due to an accumulation of yellow cards. This leaves Slot with only Hugo Ekitike as his starting striker available during the busy period from late December 2025 to January 2026.

The crisis of players in the forward line threatens the consistency of Liverpool, which has already secured three consecutive victories across all competitions. In fact, they have returned to competing for a spot in the top four.

"If we look at our stock on the bench, it is indeed limited, but this is not the first time we have faced this situation. It is common for teams in England to experience many players injured during this period," said Slot.

Not only Isak, but one of the Premier League's fittest players, Bruno Fernandes, is also sidelined with a hamstring problem. Fernandes was withdrawn at halftime in the game against Aston Villa last weekend.

Since joining Manchester United in the winter of January 2020, Fernandes has only missed nine matches out of 221 English Premier League games. He has played 212 games, with 208 of them as a starting player.

Out of the nine matches he missed, Fernandes only skipped three games due to injury. Although surgery is not required, Fernandes does not yet have a fixed timeline for recovery from his injury.

Caution is required when treating hamstring injuries. Even the mildest hamstring injury requires a complete rest period of two weeks.

This situation has caused Fernandes to be absent from six English League games and the FA Cup match against Brighton & Hove Albion. MU manager Ruben Amorim has lost an important player in the heart of the game who has contributed 12 goals in the English League this season.

In addition, the "Red Devils" have also lost a leader on the field. Whoever takes on Fernandes' role in the midfield, including Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo, Lisandro Martinez, or Mason Mount, must work extra hard to prove themselves.

"He (Fernandes) will miss a few games. I don't want to talk about his injury, because he's a player who's always fit and trying to recover as quickly as possible," Amorim told Sky Sports.

"We have faced too many problems this season. We have proven that we can overcome that," continued Amorim, who has gone through two winless matches in the English League. (AFP)