Conor Bradley will not play for Liverpool again this season after the club confirmed the right back sustained a serious knee injury against Arsenal.
Bradley did not suffer an anterior cruciate ligament injury towards the end of Thursday’s goalless draw, but there was significant damage to ligaments and the bone. He will undergo surgery in the coming days.
No timescale has been put on Bradley’s return but the severity of the setback means he will not play again for Arne Slot’s side this season, which represents a cruel blow for the player and the team.
Martinelli attracted criticism for manhandling Bradley as he lay injured
JAVIER GARCIA/SHUTTERSTOCK
It is too early to assess the 22-year-old’s chances of captaining Northern Ireland should they qualify for this summer’s World Cup. Michael O’Neill’s side are scheduled to play Italy in a play-off semi-final in March, which Bradley will miss, with the winner facing Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Bradley pulled up sharply at the Emirates before collapsing in pain and later left the stadium on crutches and his left knee in a brace.
The incident drew greater attention when the Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli attempted to push Bradley off the pitch as he lay injured, mistakenly thinking his rival was play-acting. Martinelli’s actions were roundly condemned and he later apologised to Bradley. The diagnosis brings into sharper focus the foolhardiness of the Brazil international, who has himself had numerous injuries.
Bradley has endured a number of fitness problems in his Liverpool career but this is by far the most serious and rules out a player whose drive and quality would have been a major boost to Slot.
Indeed, Bradley is the third first-team player facing a significant period out. Giovanni Leoni, the centre back, was ruled out for the season back in September with an ACL injury sustained on debut, while Alexander Isak is recuperating from a broken leg.
Slot’s defensive options in particular are depleted, with Joe Gomez and Jeremie Frimpong potential alternatives to Bradley. Frimpong has been performing further forward on the right, however, and his pace has made a difference to Liverpool’s attack.