Conor Bradley has shown he can be a key player for Liverpool but injuries are threatening his role.Conor Bradley has committed his long-term future to Liverpool and with Trent Alexander-Arnold saying goodbye, the time has come to stake his claim as a starter.Bradley produced a stellar performance for the club in 2024/25 and has shown plenty of promise for what lies ahead, but injuries continue to plague the young right-back.Despite Liverpool’s injury situation improving dramatically under Slot, Bradley has been unable to escape the clutches of the treatment room having missed 19 games in all competitions.Only Joe Gomez (24) has missed more games for the Reds, with the pair accounting for 33.3 per cent of the games missed by senior players.On four separate occasions, Bradley has suffered fitness problems, particularly his hamstring, which have required Slot and the medical team to manage his minutes throughout the season.The 21-year-old has, as a result, completed the full 90 minutes on just five occasions, including just one in the Premier League at Southampton in November. For a player expected to shoulder more responsibility after Alexander-Arnold’s departure, it’s not the minutes and consistent performances that inspire confidence.In 2023/24, Bradley also missed 23 games mainly due to a broken spine, meaning he has now missed 42 games over two seasons, equivalent to 36.8 per cent of Liverpool’s games.It’s a big question mark over Bradley and his future if he can stay fit. However, he insists with his new long-term signing that he feels physically strong.With the arrival of Jeremie Frimpong to add depth on the right wing, Bradley will not be disappointed with the level of consistency he needs to find with his body in 2025/26.Once Alexander-Arnold moved to Real Madrid, Bradley became Liverpool’s first-choice right-back.It lists a new set of demands and Slott is more aware of the next steps needed in Bradley’s development.”I think that’s the next step for him in his development, playing every week and feeling that pressure, and at some point maybe it doesn’t feel like pressure anymore,” Bradley said. Bradley’s longest spell in the XI in 2024/25 is three games to close out the season, with a replacement plan in place before Frimpong was swiftly signed.Frimpong’s arrival has raised doubts about the role Bradley will play moving forward, but with the Northern Irishman likely to feature heavily, Slott will have options to rotate.Much will depend on Bradley’s ability to stay fit, with the fitness department continuing to devise and tweak their training plan to ensure he avoids further issues preventing him from making the side.With a new contract signed until 2027, Bradley will be determined to take the title as first-choice right-back, but to do so he must show he can be relied upon week in, week out, and beyond.
Conor Bradley has shown he can be a key player for Liverpool but injuries are threatening his role.
