Northern Ireland will once again be without captain Conor Bradley for the upcoming international break as the Liverpool defender continues his recovery from a long-term knee injury
Conor Bradley of Liverpool inspects the pitch prior to a pre-season friendly match
Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill has responded to the latest Conor Bradley injury update(Image: Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill has responded to the latest injury update on Liverpool defender Conor Bradley ahead of the international break at the end of this month.
The right back has been sidelined since January with a long-term knee ligament injury, which was sustained during a 0-0 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. He missed the entire second half of last season, as well as preseason and the start of the current campaign under new head coach Andoni Iraola.
Despite making steady progress in recent months, Bradley is still some distance away from making a return to first-team action. Iraola confirmed in Liverpool's pre-Tottenham press conference this week that he is training alone and has started work with the ball but is not close to training with the team.
It means Bradley will also miss the first international break of the season for Northern Ireland. At the age of 23, he is already the captain of his nation but will play no part in its upcoming Nations League matches against Georgia and Hungary.
Speaking after the recent squad announcement, O'Neill reiterated that Bradley is progressing well in his recovery, but there was no expectation he would be fit for the upcoming international window. "I think that's for Liverpool to comment on," the Northern Ireland boss told the media.
"Whatever Andoni said is 100% true, they’ve him every day. I'm in touch with Conor, he's progressing well, but we didn't expect him to be fit for this window.
"He's in great hands at Liverpool and we know that he's progressing well."
Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal reacts as Conor Bradley of Liverpool lies injured during the Premier League match in January
Conor Bradley last featured for Liverpool in a 0-0 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates back in January(Image: Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
The absence of Bradley at right back has left Iraola with quite the selection dilemma so far this term. Jeremie Frimpong was signed 12 months ago following Trent Alexander-Arnold 's departure, but the Dutchman has experienced injury problems of his own and is yet to truly convince in the role.
In the summer window, Liverpool signed Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo on loan. While traditionally a center back, the Uruguayan has been utilized as a right back in some of the Reds' matches this season, and he's certainly impressed in the position.
That said, given Araujo also provides center-back cover, he should not be relied upon for the entirety of the campaign. Joe Gomez, who is also a utility defender, is closing in on a return to action, but it's fair to say his fitness and availability cannot be relied upon.
Otherwise, previous head coach Arne Slot regularly called upon midfielders such as Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones to fill in at the position at points last term. The latter has now left the club, while it's clear Szoboszlai's preference is to operate in the middle of the park.