Liverpool's Bradley to miss rest of season with significant knee injury

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Liverpool defender Conor Bradley has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a significant knee injury in Thursday’s goalless Premier League draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

The 22-year-old full-back sustained the damage in the closing stages of the match and had to be stretchered off after receiving lengthy treatment on the pitch.[1] He later left the stadium on crutches with a brace on his left knee, underlining the seriousness of the setback.[1]

Liverpool have confirmed that Bradley will undergo surgery in the coming days to repair both bone and ligament damage in the knee.[1] However, club medical assessments have clarified that, despite the severity of the issue, it is not an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.[1] Even so, the extent of the damage is such that he will not return to action before the end of the current campaign.[1]

The injury also rules Bradley out of a key international assignment. He will miss Northern Ireland’s World Cup play-off tie against Italy in March, a major blow for manager and country given his rapid rise and importance to the national side.[1]

Bradley had been enjoying an increasingly prominent role at Liverpool, impressing with his energy and defensive solidity, and his absence forces manager Arne Slot to rethink his plans at right-back for the remainder of the season.[1] The club are expected to provide further updates on his rehabilitation timetable after the operation, but for now the focus is on a successful surgery and long-term recovery.