Arne Slot has reflected on Conor Bradley‘s season-ending knee injury, admitting a shortage of options and his desire to keep using Dominik Szoboszlai in midfield.
How long is Conor Bradley out for? Arne Slot confirms “enormous blow”
Injury duration:Conor Bradley is out for the season following surgery on his knee. Arne Slot described the timing as a “big, big, big blow.”
Defensive crisis: Liverpool currently have only six fit senior defenders. Slot admitted: “I have to manage it in the right way” to protect Jeremie Frimpong.
Tactical shift: Slot addressed the use of Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back, stating: “I hope that you don’t think that I would like to play [him] as a right full-back.”
Bradley will not play again this season after sustaining ligament and bone damage in his knee against Arsenal which will require surgery to repair.
Liverpool right-back options: How Arne Slot will replace Conor Bradley
It leaves Slot with three recognised options at right-back: Jeremie Frimpong, who is also required in attack; Joe Gomez, who is injury prone and also third-choice centre-back; and Calvin Ramsay, who has played once this season.
While Liverpool are not currently expected to sign a new defender in January, Slot’s comments after Monday’s 4-1 win over Barnsley underlined his lack of depth.
The head coach emphasised that he would prefer to keep Szoboszlai – who has already started five games at right-back this season and often moves there during games – as a midfielder and recognised the need to manage Frimpong’s fitness.
And more importantly for now, Slot acknowledged this injury as a big opportunity lost for Bradley – at both club level and as Northern Ireland prepare for their World Cup qualifying playoff against Italy in March.
“First of all let’s talk about him,” he said of Bradley.
LONDON, ENGLAND - Thursday, January 8, 2026: Liverpool's Conor Bradley is carried off on a stretcher off with an injury during the FA Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC at the Emirates Stadium. The game ended 0-0.(Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“Trent was leaving and Conor Bradley already replaced him last season a few times really well, and I think the year before I came also had a good spell.
“So I think he felt – and I felt the same – ‘this is now going to be your time’. Then he missed out on so many games because of injury already, because of mainly hamstring injuries.
“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.
“I also think about Northern Ireland, where he’s trying to reach the World Cup, so it’s an enormous blow for him.
Liverpool defensive crisis: Only six senior defenders fit
LONDON, ENGLAND - Saturday, December 20, 2025: Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai during the FA Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Liverpool FC at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“But as a result of that, it’s a big blow for us as well – I hope that you don’t think that I would like to play Dominik Szoboszlai as a right full-back.
“But Jeremie Frimpong has to play a lot of minutes, comes also back from an injury, has missed three or four months of a lot of playing time.
“I liked him again today, by the way. But I have to make sure that he’s able to play again at the weekend, and then we go to Marseille and then we go to Bournemouth.
“It’s nine games in January with six defenders available.
“I have to manage it in the right way, and I have to give enormous compliments to the players who are fit that we are 11 games unbeaten in a row.”