Liverpool fans feared the worst when Conor Bradley fell to the grass in the 93rd minute at the Emirates on Thursday.
The club confirmed those fears Sunday with a brief injury update.
"Liverpool FC can confirm Conor Bradley has sustained a significant knee injury," the statement begins.
"Bradley will undergo surgery in the coming days and then begin a period of rehabilitation at the AXA Training Centre. No timeframe is being placed on his return to playing at this stage of the process."
Though the club didn't specify a rough return date, Liverpool FC reporter James Pearce explained that the severity of the injury will keep him out for the rest of the 2025/2026 campaign.
Conor Bradley’s season is over. The #LFC right back will undergo surgery in the coming days after scans showed no ACL rupture but damage to both bone and ligaments in his left knee.
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) January 11, 2026
How Bradley was injured and the Gabriel Martinelli incident
Well into stoppage time, the Northern Irishman chased down an Arsenal long ball with left winger Martinelli in pursuit. Slow motion replays show that just before Bradley knocked the ball out for a Gunners throw-in, his plant foot slipped and his left knee shifted unnaturally.
The injury itself was overshadowed during the match and in the immediate aftermath by an incident involving Martinelli. With Bradley rolling on the sideline in pain at the spot of the throw-in, Arsenal couldn't restart the game quickly. Clearly assuming Bradley was acting hurt on the field to waste time, Martinelli first dropped the ball on him, then shoved him out of bounds.
Bradley's teammates rightly took serious exception to this, particularly Alexis Mac Allister and Ibrahima Konate. Martinelli has since apologized on social media for not understanding the situation "in the heat of the moment." That won't stop the boos every time he visits Anfield from now on.
Gabriel Martinelli’s apology to Conor Bradley pic.twitter.com/WpSwlNJZCp
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) January 9, 2026
Where does Liverpool go from here?
Slot and his staff find themselves significantly shorthanded despite Liverpool's big-spending summer.
Center back Giovanni Leoni is out for the year and the same may well be true for striker Alexander Isak. With Joe Gomez's propensity for injury setbacks and Jeremie Frimpong deputizing at right wing while Mo Salah's run with Egypt continues in the African Cup of Nations, Liverpool officially has a right back problem.
Frimpong, the only fit first-team right back, is not only needed in attack with Salah gone and Isak and Hugo Ekitike out — he's also had his own injuries to contend with this season. The risk of overplaying him is too big to take, especially given his hamstring issues.
Young reserve defender Calvin Ramsay impressed at right back in Liverpool's 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Southampton in September, and he's likely to get another opportunity tomorrow when Barnsley comes to Anfield for the third round of the FA Cup. If he repeats his solid performance, he may earn some time in the league.
Curtis Jones and Dom Szoboszlai are options, too, but obviously have important roles to play in midfield.
If I had it my way, the club would invest in another Joe Gomez-style defender who can play center back and outside back, like a Gvardiol or Ake or Calafiori. After the summer investments, though, I'm not getting my hopes up.