CONOR BRADLEY HAS returned to Liverpool training, having missed the Community Shield and last weekend’s Premier League opener against Bournemouth.
Bradley’s return comes as fellow defender Jeremie Frimpong faces several weeks out of action with a hamstring injury.
Frimpong suffered the setback during the Premier League champions’ 4-2 win against the Cherries at Anfield last Friday. The former Bayer Leverkusen full-back, a reported £29.5 million [€34.08m] replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, went off after an hour of his home league debut for Liverpool.
“Conor trained for a few minutes with us today for the first time,” Liverpool head coach Arne Slot told a pre-match press conference ahead of the Reds’ next game against Newcastle on Monday.
“The medical team was completely right about Jeremie to tell me they had to take him off, because he is out until the end of the international break (10 September) and that happened in the game.
“I think I got criticised for taking him off, didn’t I?” the Dutch boss added. “It had nothing to do with how he played but we felt he had an issue with his hamstring and by ‘we,’ I mean the medical staff. It was a good call to take him off, otherwise he would have been out for longer. We expect to have him back after the international break.”
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Bradley is Liverpool’s other option at right-back, the Northern Ireland international penning a new, four-year deal in May.
He was today named in Northern Ireland’s latest squad after recovering from a hamstring injury himself.
The build-up to Monday’s match at St. James’ Park has been dominated by Liverpool’s pursuit of unsettled Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, with the Magpies reported to be demanding a British record transfer fee of £150 million [€173.35m] for the 25-year-old Sweden international.
Alexander Isak (file photo). Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
“I am happy with the squad but if we think there is a player who can really make us better then this club has always shown they can bring them in.”
Slot, who has seen Liverpool’s £300million-plus [€347m+] spending spree this summer offset by more than £200 million [€231m] worth of sales, added: “But it needs to be everything we want: right transfer fee, right position and the player wants to come to us.
“I don’t think (it will be a busy end to the summer transfer window) because (that would mean) I would be unhappy with the squad and I am happy with the squad.
“I say two players for each positions is ideal, but sometimes less is more so you are not disappointing players.”
The manager rejected suggestion Liverpool’s trip to the northeast would be made easier by Isak’s absence and the ensuing turmoil it has caused Newcastle.
“I don’t think they are a club with troubles,” he said. “I assume Isak is not playing but they still have Anthony Gordon as a nine, they have Anthony Elanga as a right winger and Harvey Barnes from the left — and Jacob Murphy is not even playing.
“This is the Premier League, we all have a lot of options and Newcastle have them as well.”
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Liverpool's Conor Bradley returns to training as Frimpong out for several weeks
CONOR BRADLEY HAS returned to Liverpool training, having missed the Community Shield and last weekend’s Premier League opener against Bournemouth.
Bradley’s return comes as fellow defender Jeremie Frimpong faces several weeks out of action with a hamstring injury.
Frimpong suffered the setback during the Premier League champions’ 4-2 win against the Cherries at Anfield last Friday. The former Bayer Leverkusen full-back, a reported £29.5 million [€34.08m] replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, went off after an hour of his home league debut for Liverpool.
“Conor trained for a few minutes with us today for the first time,” Liverpool head coach Arne Slot told a pre-match press conference ahead of the Reds’ next game against Newcastle on Monday.
“The medical team was completely right about Jeremie to tell me they had to take him off, because he is out until the end of the international break (10 September) and that happened in the game.
“I think I got criticised for taking him off, didn’t I?” the Dutch boss added. “It had nothing to do with how he played but we felt he had an issue with his hamstring and by ‘we,’ I mean the medical staff. It was a good call to take him off, otherwise he would have been out for longer. We expect to have him back after the international break.”
Bradley is Liverpool’s other option at right-back, the Northern Ireland international penning a new, four-year deal in May.
He was today named in Northern Ireland’s latest squad after recovering from a hamstring injury himself.
The build-up to Monday’s match at St. James’ Park has been dominated by Liverpool’s pursuit of unsettled Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, with the Magpies reported to be demanding a British record transfer fee of £150 million [€173.35m] for the 25-year-old Sweden international.
While Isak and Newcastle went back and forth with strongly-worded statements this week, Slot says Liverpool will only sign the right player at the right price.
“I am happy with the squad but if we think there is a player who can really make us better then this club has always shown they can bring them in.”
Slot, who has seen Liverpool’s £300million-plus [€347m+] spending spree this summer offset by more than £200 million [€231m] worth of sales, added: “But it needs to be everything we want: right transfer fee, right position and the player wants to come to us.
“I don’t think (it will be a busy end to the summer transfer window) because (that would mean) I would be unhappy with the squad and I am happy with the squad.
“I say two players for each positions is ideal, but sometimes less is more so you are not disappointing players.”
The manager rejected suggestion Liverpool’s trip to the northeast would be made easier by Isak’s absence and the ensuing turmoil it has caused Newcastle.
“I don’t think they are a club with troubles,” he said. “I assume Isak is not playing but they still have Anthony Gordon as a nine, they have Anthony Elanga as a right winger and Harvey Barnes from the left — and Jacob Murphy is not even playing.
“This is the Premier League, we all have a lot of options and Newcastle have them as well.”
– © AFP 2025
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