Liverpool hit with Conor Bradley nightmare as Reds confirm ‘significant’ injury | Football | Sport
Conor Bradley will be sidelined for the remainder of the season after the Liverpool full-back sustained a ‘significant knee injury’ during the goalless draw with Arsenal. The Northern Ireland international is set to go under the knife in the coming days after being carried off on a stretcher at the Emirates Stadium.
Follow-up scans revealed that Bradley had escaped an ACL rupture. Nevertheless, he has suffered damage to both bone and ligaments in his left knee. Whilst he will commence his recovery at the AXA Training Centre following surgery, the club has refrained from putting a timescale on his comeback. However, it is believed that the defender will be absent for the remainder of the Reds’ campaign as a consequence of the injury.
A club statement read: “Liverpool FC can confirm Conor Bradley has sustained a significant knee injury. The right-back suffered the issue in the latter stages of Thursday night’s Premier League fixture away at Arsenal.
“Bradley will undergo surgery in the coming days and then begin a period of rehabilitation at the AXA Training Centre.
“No timeframe is being placed on his return to playing at this stage of the process.”
Bradley will also be ruled out of Northern Ireland’s World Cup play-off campaign, where they are due to face Italy in a semi-final in March, with the victors then meeting either Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina for a spot in next summer’s finals.
It’s too soon to determine whether Bradley could recover in time to participate in the World Cup, should Northern Ireland qualify.
Despite avoiding an ACL injury, Bradley’s absence is a significant setback for Liverpool, joining Giovanni Leoni and Alexander Isak on the long-term injury list.
Jeremie Frimpong is now Liverpool’s sole natural senior right-back, a position that has given Arne Slot problems throughout the season.
Joe Gomez could also fill in at right-back, but he is currently the only cover at centre-back for Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate due to Leoni’s own ACL injury.
Players like Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones have been used as temporary solutions at right-back this season, while Calvin Ramsay, who has been included in several matchday squads recently, is still with the Reds.
However, the Scotland international has yet to make a Premier League appearance for Liverpool, having been plagued by injuries and a series of unsuccessful loan moves since his arrival at Anfield in the summer of 2022.
Slot’s defensive options are now severely limited, with the Dutch manager having only six senior players available to cover four positions across his entire backline.
Bradley has made 21 appearances for the Reds this season, aiming to secure his position as the club’s primary right-back following Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s move to Real Madrid.
However, he has been plagued by several fitness problems in the past.
His knee injury during the Arsenal match – which sparked controversy due to Gabriel Martinelli’s response to the defender’s situation – represents both the most recent and the most severe setback in his Liverpool career so far.
