Liverpool's Bradley out for season with knee injury

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Liverpool defender Conor Bradley will miss the rest of the season after sustaining a serious knee injury in the closing stages of his team’s 0-0 Premier League draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday. Scans showed that while the 22-year-old has avoided anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) damage, he has suffered significant bone and ligament injuries in his left knee that require surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation period.[2]

Bradley collapsed off the ball in stoppage time and immediately signalled that he could not continue, leading to prolonged treatment on the pitch before he was stretchered off.[2] Liverpool head coach Arne Slot admitted afterwards that the club had “feared the worst” when the incident occurred, given the innocuous nature of the collapse and Bradley’s clear distress.[2]

The episode was further inflamed by the actions of Arsenal substitute Gabriel Martinelli, who, in his haste to restart play and push for a late winner, threw the ball at Bradley and then tried to shove him off the pitch while he lay injured.[2] The confrontation sparked a brief scuffle between players from both sides. Martinelli was booked on the field and later issued both a public and private apology to Bradley for his behaviour.[2]

Bradley’s absence represents a major setback for Liverpool’s defensive plans, particularly at right-back, and compounds an already difficult injury situation after teenage centre-back Giovanni Leoni suffered an ACL injury earlier in the season.[2] With no official timetable placed on Bradley’s return beyond confirmation that he will miss the remainder of the campaign, Liverpool must now rely on other options in their squad to cover his role while he undergoes surgery and begins the recovery process.[2]