‘Scans will be needed’ – Injury analyst issues Bradley and Konate verdicts ahead of Man City clash
An injury expert has projected how long Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konate could be sidelined for after they both picked up knocks during Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday night.
A famous result for the Reds was diluted by the sight of the two defenders going to ground in the closing few minutes, with the former hobbling off late on and the latter needing treatment as the final whistle was blown.
Arne Slot was coy about the extent of the two injuries when speaking to the media post-match, although one trusted source has since given an indicator as to how long the duo might be missing.
Injury analyst on Bradley and Konate
Physio Scout on X – a football injury analyst who provides ‘analysis from a sports science perspective’ and is verified on the social media platform – has given their assessment on the two Liverpool players.
On Bradley, it’s claimed that ‘scans will be needed’ on the hamstring problem that he incurred, with an initial diagnosis that it may have just been ‘tightness’ more than a serious issue. The best-case scenario is that he could recover in time to face Manchester City on Sunday, but a Grade 2 mechanism could see him ruled out for the remainder of 2024.
Konate’s body blow seems rather more worrying, with ‘concern for an MCL injury’ detected after contact was made with his knee, with a ‘high ankle strain’ also cited as a possibility.
The most positive outlook for Liverpool would appear to be that the Frenchman misses only a week or two, but a Grade 3 mechanism would rule him out for a minimum of six weeks and potentially as many as 10.
Injury gods wreak havoc on famous night for Liverpool
Whilst we’re still waiting on official confirmation as to the injuries for Bradley and Konate, the assessment from Physio Scout – which appears to be a trusted and well-informed source – offers an early clue as to how long they’ll be out of action.
The initial verdict on the Northern Ireland right-back doesn’t seem overly worrying, and it helps that Trent Alexander-Arnold is on the verge of returning from his own injury issues this month. Fingers crossed that the 21-year-old can feature before the end of December.
The outlook on Konate is a real worry, though. It seems very possible that we won’t see him again this side of Christmas and potentially not until after January, thus breaking up the imperious centre-back partnership that he’d forged alongside Virgil van Dijk.
The onus is now on Jarell Quansah and/or Joe Gomez to step up for crucial fixtures against Man City, Newcastle and Everton over the next fortnight, and possibly the trips to Tottenham and West Ham over the festive period.
We can only hope for the best regarding Bradley and Konate, whose injuries have sadly taken some of the gloss off a glorious and long-awaited slaying of Real Madrid.
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