Conor Bradley injury: Everything we know about surgery, recovery timeline and Liverpool's next steps

Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley has suffered a significant knee injury that will rule him out for the rest of the season. The 22-year-old went down in stoppage time during Liverpool’s 0-0 Premier League draw away at Arsenal, collapsing off the ball while attempting a clearance before being stretchered off.

Subsequent scans confirmed there is major bone and ligament damage in his left knee, though crucially it is not an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) rupture. Liverpool have announced that Bradley will undergo surgery in the coming days, after which he will begin a lengthy rehabilitation program at the club’s AXA Training Centre, with no official timeframe placed on his return.^[1][4]

The incident also drew attention because Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli, in the urgency of chasing a late winner, threw the ball at Bradley and tried to push him off the pitch while he was on the ground injured, sparking a confrontation between both sets of players. Martinelli has since publicly and privately apologised, acknowledging he had not realized the seriousness of the injury at the time.^[3][4]

For Liverpool, the loss of Bradley is a major blow to Arne Slot’s defensive plans. Bradley had become an important option at right-back after previously overcoming a hamstring issue earlier in the season.^[4] His absence, combined with other injuries, leaves Liverpool’s back line stretched. Summer signing Jeremie Frimpong and the versatile Joe Gomez are now the primary candidates to cover on the right, though both have their own recent fitness concerns and neither is a pure like-for-like specialist in Bradley’s role.^[2][4]

Bradley’s injury also has international implications, with the defender set to miss Northern Ireland’s World Cup play-off against Italy in March and facing serious doubt for the tournament itself should his country qualify.^[4] For now, Liverpool are focused on his operation and long-term recovery, with the expectation that he will not return to competitive action until next season.