After Liverpool defeated Real Madrid, Arne Slot might have left Anfield feeling cheated because the Reds are now worried about Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley’s health.
Both players started as Slot’s team kept a clean sheet against the reigning European champions, maintaining his undefeated Champions League record this season. Bradley flourished as he proceeded to fill in for Trent Alexander-Arnold; one of the night’s greatest shouts came from his challenge on Los Blancos star Kylian Mbappe.
However, due to hamstring pain, Bradley was unable to continue for the full ninety minutes. According to Mail Online, the Northern Ireland defender may be sidelined for four weeks; however, scans will be necessary to determine the full degree of the injury.
Konate still has time to demonstrate his fitness before this weekend’s match against Manchester City. Although the Frenchman is doubtful after hobbling off on Wednesday night, there is reportedly optimism that the center-half did not sustain any significant injuries.
Slot admitted his concern in his press conference on Thursday afternoon. “They are still being assessed,” he said.
“Let’s wait and see but it is never a good sign. Conor, I had to take him off and Ibou didn’t walk off the pitch as he should after such a fantastic game that he played. He should have made a round and clapped the fans but he couldn’t.
“It is so close after the game last night and I have just come off the training pitch so I can’t tell you exactly where they are. We have to wait and see where they are this weekend.”
Conor Bradley made a crunching tackle on Kylian Mbappe ( Image: Jose Hernandez/Getty Images)
Slot offered a simple ‘yes, he would’ when asked whether Trent Alexander-Arnold would be fit enough to start against Pep Guardiola’s side on Sunday. The England international was present among the substitutes at Anfield but was not utlised as Bradley’s replacement against Real Madrid.
The Reds are set to be without Alisson Becker, Diogo Jota, Kostas Tsimikas and Federico Chiesa to face City, but Slot is unconcerned that his team’s injury problems have not been focused upon. The former Feyenoord boss is content with his side’s impressive record.
“We do have some very important players for us being injured but if the replacements do so well it’s normal that people don’t talk about it that much,” he said. “It is true that missing Alisson, which has been a starter for this club and been so important for this club for so long, missing Diogo Jota [and] missing Trent in the last two games – those are players that have had impact a lot on the results in recent years. But it’s a good thing we don’t talk about it.”