Conor Bradley - Share the Road to Zero
Liverpool’s Conor Bradley is edging closer to a return to first-team action after a muscle injury but the Northern Ireland international will miss Wednesday’s Premier League clash against Sunderland at Anfield, boss Arne Slot confirmed.
Fellow full-back Jeremie Frimpong is also nearing a return for the reigning champions, who stopped a dire run of defeats on Sunday with a much-needed 2-0 victory at West Ham United amid a challenging period for the Reds.
Manager Slot provided an update during a press conference on Tuesday, and confirmed Bradley resumed training this week.
The Merseyside club have struggled for consistency of late, not helped by the absence of both right-backs, as well as ongoing fitness concerns surrounding Joe Gomez.
Liverpool full-back Conor Bradley is back in training after a muscle injury and could be available for Saturday's trip to Leeds United. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)placeholder image
Liverpool full-back Conor Bradley is back in training after a muscle injury and could be available for Saturday's trip to Leeds United. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
In recent matches, central midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has been pressed into service at the back, with the Hungarian international expected to revert to his preferred midfield role once Bradley and Frimpong are fit.
Bradley, who has been out since sustaining a muscle injury while away on international duty on November 9, could be available for Saturday evening’s trip to Leeds.
However, Slot urged caution regarding his immediate involvement, stating: “Conor got into a team training session yesterday for the first time.
“Not everything is 100 percent yet, so we have to manage that so don't get hopes up too soon.”
With Liverpool’s fixture schedule becoming increasingly congested, Slot will be hoping he can call on Bradley this weekend when his side travel to Leeds.
“Hopefully Conor is available for Leeds,” Slot added.
Frimpong, who joined from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer and has been limited to just ten appearances due to recurring hamstring issues, is also nearing a comeback.
Slot indicated Frimpong could rejoin team training imminently.
“We expect the same with Jeremie next week,” he said.
The head coach is also carefully managing the game time of Gomez, as well as high-profile summer signings Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, both of whom are still working towards full match fitness following recent injury setbacks.
Gomez played 90 minutes against West Ham for the first time since Boxing Day, while Isak finally scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool since his record £125million move from Newcastle United.
Slot emphasised the importance of caution, adding: “I don't think they can play three times 90 in a week. Now I have to wait to see if they can be involved from the start on Wednesday against Sunderland.”
As Liverpool continue to navigate a packed fixture list, Slot’s prudent handling of his squad’s fitness will be crucial in maintaining momentum in the coming weeks.
Mo Salah, who was left out of the starting line-up against West Ham and did not feature at all, could be poised for a return against Sunderland.