Alexander Isak receives text message from Tottenham star after hammer injury blow for Liverpool striker

"I sent him a text because I didn't want to injure him, or to do something to hurt him of course," Van de Ven told Sky Sports.

"I just wanted to try to block the shot. I think it was a bit unlucky how his foot landed between my legs.

"So I sent him a text afterwards and I wanted to wish him all the best of course. I hope to see him on the pitch again very soon. He appreciated the message and texted back."

The £125million striker sustained a fractured fibula and damage to his left ankle during the challenge, which came as he netted Liverpool's opener at Spurs.

Van de Ven had slid in with force attempting to block Isak's shot, with the forward's leg becoming trapped in a scissor movement.

Match officials and VAR chose not to review the incident at the time, though Liverpool's camp expressed immediate anger upon viewing replays.

Isak went under the knife on Monday, with the operation proving successful.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot remains optimistic that his striker will return before the season concludes, provided his recovery proceeds as planned, though he acknowledged the absence will span several months.

Despite his optimism regarding Isak's recovery, Slot has not softened his stance on the nature of the challenge itself.

"It was a reckless challenge," the Liverpool head coach stated firmly.

He drew a comparison with a previous incident involving Xavi Simons, which he considered entirely accidental, arguing that Van de Ven's tackle carried far greater risk.

"If you make a tackle like that 10 times, 10 times there is a serious chance the player gets a serious injury.

"It is going to be a long injury for a couple of months. That's a big, big disappointment for him and, as a result of that, also for us."

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank offered a contrasting view, strongly defending Van de Ven and insisting his defender had not lost control during the challenge.

The matter appears to have been resolved following direct communication between the two players on Tuesday.

Slot spoke with Isak on Monday and acknowledged understanding Van de Ven's motivation to prevent a goal-scoring opportunity.

"If it is my player, you always want to see that he tries everything to prevent the other team scoring and that is what you saw as well," the Liverpool manager explained.

"If he would have done nothing, everyone would have said 'pfft, can you show a bit more effort!'"

However, Slot maintained his position that such challenges carry an elevated risk of causing harm.

The exchange between Van de Ven and Isak has effectively defused tensions between the two camps.