Conor Bradley is set to undergo surgery after the Liverpool right-back suffered a season-ending knee injury.

The Northern Ireland international was carried off on a stretcher in the closing stages of Thursday’s 0-0 draw with Premier League leaders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Scan results eased fears that he had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) but there is significant damage to both the bone and the ligaments in his left knee.

The 22-year-old academy graduate will not play again for Liverpool this season but has yet to be ruled out of the World Cup if Northern Ireland qualify via the play-offs in March.

It’s a crushing blow for Liverpool head coach Arne Slot, who has already seen young centre-back Giovanni Leoni tear his ACL and record signing Alexander Isak break his leg so far this season.

Slot admitted he “feared the worst” in the aftermath of the game against Arsenal. Bradley left the Emirates on crutches with his knee in a brace.

Arsenal substitute Gabriel Martinelli had enraged Slot’s players by throwing the ball at Bradley and then attempting to shove him off the pitch as he lay in obvious discomfort awaiting treatment. The Brazilian winger subsequently contacted Bradley to apologise for his behaviour.

In the absence of Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong, Joe Gomez and Calvin Ramsay provide options for Slot in terms of filling the void at right-back.

---

Major blow for Liverpool and Bradley

Analysis by Gregg Evans

This comes as a big blow for both Liverpool and Bradley after the right-back helped bring some balance back to the team.

His stop-start season finally appeared to have some stability when he returned to the squad before Christmas and featured heavily in the last five Premier League games.

With Bradley available, Slot was also able to play Jeremie Frimpong in a more advanced role with Mohamed Salah away at AFCON with Egypt.

Yet those plans have now been scuppered once again as Bradley faces up to another lengthy spell on the sidelines.

It’s a cruel scenario for a player who has suffered a number of injuries in his short career and was desperately hoping for lift-off this season following the exit of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Slot must also be wondering when this rotten run of injuries will end as he now has to patch up the right side of his team once again after numerous issues already this season.

One positive is that Joe Gomez is back available and could fill in if Slot wants to keep Frimpong in an attacking role. The former Bayer Leverkusen man is also well-equipped to play right-back but that would open up the issue of finding a replacement right winger once again.

Calvin Ramsay, who may have left the club on loan this month, is another option for Liverpool having made the squad in recent weeks.