Liverpool confirm 22-year-old will not play again this season

Conor Bradley’s season is officially over after the Liverpool right-back suffered a significant knee injury during the 0-0 Premier League draw with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

The 22-year-old was stretchered off late in the match following an awkward twist of the knee, clearly in discomfort.

Bradley later left the stadium on crutches, immediately sparking fears over the severity of the problem.

Those concerns were confirmed when Liverpool revealed the injury will require surgery, ruling Bradley out for the remainder of the 2025/26 campaign.

Liverpool confirmed the severity of the injury with a statement on their official website.

They described the knee injury as “significant” and a surgical procedure has been scheduled, meaning Bradley will miss the rest of this season.

The 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.”

While the club have avoided placing a specific return date on his recovery, the confirmation of surgery effectively rules Bradley out for the season, with Liverpool prioritising a full and careful rehabilitation.

Reports suggest the injury involves both ligament and bone damage, rather than a straightforward ACL tear, making it a particularly complex issue that requires precise surgical intervention and an extended recovery period.

Bradley’s absence creates a major problem for Arne Slot at a crucial stage of the campaign, leaving Liverpool dangerously short of natural right-back options.

With Bradley sidelined, Liverpool are now relying heavily on Jeremie Frimpong, the summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen, who becomes the club’s only recognised senior right-back.

However, Frimpong himself has struggled with fitness issues this season, raising concerns over workload and durability.

The crisis leaves the injury prone Joe Gomez as the primary backup for both the right-back and center-back positions.

Slot has also previously used Dominik Szoboszlai as a makeshift right-back in emergency situations.

The Hungarian midfielder, arguably Liverpool’s standout performer this season, remains an option, though deploying him out of position could weaken Liverpool in the midfield.

Bradley’s setback compounds a worrying injury situation at Anfield, with Liverpool already missing key figures including Giovanni Leoni (ACL) and Alexander Isak (broken leg).

Liverpool have been linked with defensive reinforcements ahead of the January window, most notably Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi.

It remains to be seen whether Bradley’s injury forces the club to accelerate the plans to bring in a new defender.

For now, Slot must navigate a demanding fixture schedule with limited defensive options, while the focus shifts firmly to ensuring Bradley makes a full recovery rather than risking a rushed return.

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