Conor Bradley’s season ends after serious knee injury at Arsenal
Liverpool have confirmed that Conor Bradley will miss the remainder of the campaign after sustaining a significant knee injury in the 0–0 draw away to Arsenal. The full-back was injured late in the match and required lengthy treatment before being stretchered from the pitch.
The 22-year-old suffered bone and ligament damage and will undergo surgery in the coming days. Crucially, the problem is not an anterior cruciate ligament injury, but the club has stated that there is “no timeframe being placed” on his return, underlining the seriousness of the setback.
International impact for Northern Ireland
Bradley will also be unavailable for Northern Ireland’s World Cup play-off tie in March against Italy, ruling him out of one of the biggest fixtures of his international career to date. Whether he could recover in time for this summer’s World Cup, should Michael O’Neill’s side progress, remains uncertain.
Before the injury, Bradley had made 21 appearances this season, already overcoming earlier hamstring issues. The latest blow brings his campaign to an abrupt end.
Controversy surrounding Martinelli incident
The match was overshadowed by an incident in stoppage time when Gabriel Martinelli pushed Bradley while he was lying injured on the turf. The Arsenal forward received a yellow card from Anthony Taylor and was widely criticised for his actions.
Martinelli later apologised on social media and will face no further punishment, with the incident deemed dealt with on the field by the referee. He subsequently returned to action in Arsenal’s 4–1 FA Cup win over Portsmouth.
Pundits did not hold back in their assessment. Roy Keane described the behaviour as “an absolute disgrace”, while Daniel Sturridge called it “disrespectful”, highlighting the need for greater awareness when players are clearly hurt.
Selection challenges for Arne Slot
Bradley’s absence creates a problem on the right side of Liverpool’s defence for head coach Arne Slot. Options include Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez, both recovering from injuries themselves, while midfielders Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones have already been deployed as auxiliary right-backs this season.
Liverpool now face a congested January schedule, including FA Cup, Premier League and Champions League fixtures, without their young defender available.
The loss of Conor Bradley for the rest of the season represents a major setback for both club and country, arriving in the middle of a critical phase of the campaign and leaving Liverpool with significant defensive reshaping ahead.
