Conor Bradley's knee injury is cruel – and Liverpool's defence is stretched without him
The 22-year-old has struggled with injuries in his short career, but no absence will feel as badly timed as this one
Conor Bradley knew from the start of this season that the spotlight would be on him.
He anticipated the additional scrutiny after Trent Alexander-Arnold left for Real Madrid, understanding that if his performances at right-back did not match up, criticism could follow.
But Bradley, from Aghyaran in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, is made of stern stuff. When he was fit and firing, Bradley showed that, for all of Alexander-Arnold’s brilliance, there was no real need to worry about the England international’s exit. As Bradley bulldozed into tackles and offered a combination of defensive solidity and effective attacking play, it became clear that his presence in this Liverpool team was crucial.
From a very young age, those who worked closely with Bradley said that he was “going to be different”. Since joining Liverpool, he has been toughened up to handle the demands of playing for one of the world’s biggest clubs.
What academies don’t teach you, though, is how to stay strong when an injury ends your season and adds a cloud of uncertainty to a possible World Cup adventure. Football clubs can be supportive places during difficult times, but surely nobody within Liverpool’s Kirby training ground, and perhaps even Bradley’s inner circle, could find the words and actions to make him feel any better after sustaining a serious knee injury that requires surgery.
This is his seventh injury setback in three and a half years with Liverpool’s first team, and the third of this campaign, but it is also the most serious by far. If there’s anyone in top-level football who needs a pick-me-up — and not the Gabriel Martinelli type — it’s Bradley.
His season is over. The 22-year-old’s chance to establish himself as the first-choice right-back is on hold, and if he’s unfortunate, the World Cup this summer could be a stretch. At the very least, he will not be able to help Northern Ireland in their play-off semi-final against Italy in March. His international manager, Michael O’Neill, will be equally as frustrated while he faces up to the prospect of lining up without his most influential player.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot had already admitted that he feared the worst when Bradley was forced off late into the 0-0 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. As his right-back departed on a stretcher, Slot was seen wincing. His facial expressions seemed to reflect the concerns swirling around his head, especially as troubles down the right side of his team resurface.
