Liverpool boss Arne Slot. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)placeholder image
Liverpool boss Arne Slot. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Arne Slot discusses the injury to Conor Bradley as he will undergo surgery for a serious knee injury.
Arne Slot told of his sympathy for Liverpool defender Conor Bradley after being ruled out of the season.
Bradley has had frustration with hamstring issues this term but was enjoying a run in Liverpool’s team. When fit, he is regarded as the Reds’ first-choice right-sided full-back after Trent Alexander-Arnold left for Real Madrid last summer.
Both Bradley and Slot were hoping that it would be the Northern Ireland captain’s time to cement his place in the Reds’ starting line-up. But the 22-year-old now must recover from an ‘enormous’ injury blow.
Liverpool head coach Slot said after the 4-1 victory over Barnsley in the FA Cup third round: “First of all, let’s talk about him because Trent is leaving and Conor Bradley already replaced him last season a few times really well and the year before I came, he also had a good spell.
“He felt and I felt the same; this is now going to be your time and he missed out on so many games already because of hamstring injuries. Then coming back from that, being in the team, progressing, doing better and better, staying fit and then something like this happens.
“In a season where he thought before it started: 'This has to be my season' and I thought the same. To maybe play six, seven or eight games is a big, big, big blow for him and I also think about Northern Ireland where he is trying to reach the World Cup. It is an enormous blow for him but, as a result, it is a big blow for us.”
Jeremie Frimpong remains Liverpool’s only right-back specialist, scoring in the role against Barnsley. Joe Gomez can play in the position, while Dominik Szoboszlai has been used there several times. Given that Frimpong has only recently recovered from a hamstring problem, Slot warned that the Netherlands international will have to be carefully managed in the upcoming period - suggesting that Szoboszlai may have to deputise in defence at times.
Slot added: “I hope you guys know I don't like to play Dominik Szoboszlai as a right full-back. Jeremie Frimpong has to play a lot of minutes. He comes back from an injury, missed out 3-4 months of a lot of playing time so I liked him as well, by the way, today.
“But I have to make sure he is able play at the weekend and then we go to Marseille and then Bournemouth. It's nine games in January with six defenders available. I have to manage him in the right way and give enormous compliments to the players who are fit that we are 11 games unbeaten.”
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