Liverpool may soon face a serious defensive injury crisis if they’re not careful.
Conor Bradley was forced to leave the pitch during the second half at Villa Park after coming on to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold just over an hour into the match. Arne Slot had to substitute the 21-year-old with center-back Jarell Quansah, with Joe Gomez also sidelined, as Liverpool saw out a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.
Has Conor Bradley Suffered a Hamstring Injury?
Unfortunately, the news doesn’t look promising for the Northern Ireland international. Footage from Villa Park, captured by @asim_lfc, showed Bradley indicating to the attending physios that his hamstring was bothering him.
This raises concerns, as Bradley had only recently returned to first-team action after a similar injury towards the end of 2024.
At a minimum, it seems likely that Bradley will miss key upcoming Premier League matches against Manchester City (away) and Newcastle United (home).
“It’s difficult, but he felt something when he made a sprint. He tried to continue, but he had to come off,” Arne Slot explained to reporters at his post-match press conference (via liverpoolfc.com).
“With injuries, I always say that if a player wants to go off himself, that’s never a good sign. It’s probably 99.9% certain that he won’t be available for City, and I don’t expect him to be ready for Newcastle either. We’ll have to see if it’s one or two weeks, or if it’s going to be longer.”
It’s unfortunate, especially after Bradley had shown some promising performances since his return.
Liverpool Must Manage Trent Alexander-Arnold Carefully
With Alexander-Arnold’s fitness also being carefully monitored—hence the decision to substitute him during the second half—Liverpool are now walking a fine line when it comes to injuries.
There is currently no senior backup for the right-back position should the vice-captain also face an injury in the coming days or weeks.
How Arne Slot manages the minutes of the Real Madrid-linked fullback in the upcoming matches against City and Newcastle will be a significant challenge.
