Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Bradley's Season Over After Arsenal Injury Setback

January 10, 2026
Bradley's Season Over After Arsenal Injury Setback
Bradley's Season Over After Arsenal Injury Setback

Liverpool have confirmed that full-back Conor Bradley will play no further part this season after sustaining a significant knee injury during the recent fixture against Arsenal.

The 21-year-old right-back was expected to fill the void left by Trent Alexander-Arnold's summer departure to Real Madrid. Bradley had established himself as a regular starter, featuring 12 times in the Premier League and appearing in each of the last three matches before his injury struck.

The incident occurred late in the Arsenal encounter when Bradley landed awkwardly and twisted his knee, immediately showing signs of considerable distress. The Northern Irishman will require surgery in the coming days to address the damage.

The aftermath of the injury proved contentious, with Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli shoving the stricken defender as he lay on the pitch. The incident sparked a heated reaction from Liverpool's players, though Gary Neville noted afterwards that they showed admirable restraint in their response.

Martinelli has since apologised for his actions, messaging Bradley directly. "I really didn't understand he was seriously injured in the heat of the moment," the Arsenal forward said. "I want to say I'm deeply sorry for reacting. Sending Conor all my best again for a quick recovery."

The injury leaves Liverpool with a depleted defensive resource at right-back. Jeremie Frimpong has been operating on the right wing, a position he may continue to occupy given Mohamed Salah's involvement with Egypt in the African Cup of Nations semi-finals. Dominik Szoboszlai has deputised at the position previously, though he has primarily featured in midfield, while Joe Gomez came off the bench to replace Bradley against the Gunners despite managing only marginally over 500 minutes of action this term.

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