Conor Bradley is set to be ruled out of Liverpool’s forthcoming matches with an ankle injury, although the setback doesn’t appear to be as serious as first feared.

The 20-year-old was forced off shortly after half-time during the defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday, with James Pearce suggesting on the Walk On podcast that it could be a season-ending blow for the right-back.

However, Sky Sports News shared an update on the Northern Ireland international live on air this lunchtime, saying: “Liverpool defender Conor Bradley will be out for up to three weeks with the ankle injury that he sustained against Crystal Palace.

“Scans have shown that the injury is not as bad as initially feared, but it could be May before he’s back in training.”

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Judging by the suggested timeline, Bradley could return to action for Liverpool’s home clash against Tottenham on 5 May, or the trip to Villa Park eight days later.

The youngster’s injury blow compounded the anguish of losing at Anfield for the second time in four days at the weekend, although at least it comes at the same time that we’ve welcomed back Trent Alexander-Arnold from his own period in the treatment room.

Here’s hoping that the Northern Ireland youngster makes a swift recovery and can still play a part in the Reds’ run-in to the season.

You can view the injury news in full below, via @SkySportsNews on X:

Liverpool defender Conor Bradley has been ruled out of action for up to three weeks following an ankle injury sustained at the weekend pic.twitter.com/9mg1QRHACR

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 16, 2024

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Liverpool have already suffered more than their fair share of injury woe this season, and yet another body blow has emerged to compound a miserable week for the Reds.

The excruciating home defeat by Crystal Palace was worsened by the sight of Conor Bradley hobbling off the pitch early in the second half, and it appears to be more than just a knock that he can shake off.

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Speaking on the Walk On podcast, The Athletic’s reliable LFC correspondent James Pearce suggested that the 20-year-old’s campaign may have ended prematurely.

He said: “Then there was the sad sight of Conor Bradley hobbling off. It would be a surprise if we saw him again this season amid fears he may have damaged ankle ligaments.”

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The one silver lining to Bradley’s injury is that the substitution which forced him off the pitch on Sunday also saw Trent Alexander-Arnold make his first appearance since mid-February, so the vice-captain’s return to action couldn’t have been better timed.

Just as Liverpool were getting several key players back, though – Diogo Jota and Alisson Becker also made their respective returns over the past week – along comes this latest body blow to make it a case of two steps forward and one backwards in terms of squad availability.

Although Trent’s comeback would likely have seen the Northern Ireland youngster assume a backup role for the rest of the campaign in any event, it’s still a setback for the 20-year-old and the squad as a whole to have a superb breakthrough season cut short so abruptly.

Jurgen Klopp will now be praying that the Reds’ number 66 won’t suffer any body blows of his own for the next few weeks, even with Joe Gomez capable of deputising at right-back if required.

We wish Bradley the very best in his recovery from his injury, and hopefully he’ll pick up where he left off when he’s next able to feature for Liverpool.

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The sight of Trent Alexander-Arnold entering the pitch would normally be a completely heartwarming moment for the Anfield crowd.

Unfortunately, the No.66’s return to action came at the expense of what could be a serious injury for Liverpool’s deputy right-back Conor Bradley.

The ‘magnificent’ (as described by Robbie Fowler via TNT Sports) Northern Irishman seemed in some discomfort after a battle with Eberechi Eze and had to be escorted off the pitch by a couple of physios.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is coming on for Conor Bradley who has hurt himself in a tackle on Eberechi Eze.

The Northern Ireland defender earns a standing ovation as he hobbles off. https://t.co/KCrpk3DMJ6

— Paul Gorst (@ptgorst) April 14, 2024

Selected by 9.7% of #FPL managers, Conor Bradley limps off the field with an injury #LIVCRY pic.twitter.com/wyLTIWevIs

— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) April 14, 2024

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Did Crystal Palace end Liverpool’s title challenge

We don’t want to be reactionary in our analysis of our 1-0 home defeat to Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace.

That said, it’s extremely difficult to see how we manage to restore momentum at such a pivotal stage of the season having handed Arsenal an opportunity to go three points clear at the top of the table.

Bear in mind Manchester City have already secured a two-point advantage with their 5-1 hammering over Luton Town at the weekend.

Only six opportunities left in the league… and our rivals haven’t forgotten how to string a pass together.

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Oliver Glasner has teased a significant piece of Crystal Palace team news ahead of their visit to Anfield on Sunday.

The Eagles were unable to do Liverpool a favour last weekend, going down 4-2 at home to Manchester City despite taking an early lead, although they had consolation in the form of Michael Olise returning from injury off the bench after two months on the sidelines.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference this afternoon, the 49-year-old suggested that the French winger could be in line to make his first start since the end of January against the Reds.

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Glasner said of the forward (via cpfc.co.uk): “He’s closer [to starting] than the week before. He had the whole week training with us.

“We’ve had a very good week in training, high quality and a lot of intensity, which is very important because Liverpool are maybe that team in the world that plays with the highest pressure – you never have time. It’s been a really good week and Michael was part of it, so he’s close to starting.”

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Olise was linked with a potential move to Liverpool during the January transfer window, so the Anfield hierarchy may be watching his performance with interest if indeed he’s selected to start on Sunday.

The 22-year-old had been in flying form before his injury, with four goals and three assists in six Premier League games (Transfermarkt), and he’ll definitely need to be watched closely by the Reds’ defence – certainly a lot more closely than Atalanta’s attackers were last night.

While he’s yet to score or set up a goal against us in five previous tussles, the Frenchman may well fancy his chances of doing so this weekend, based on LFC’s horrific performance in the Europa League on Thursday.

We always want to see the best players in action at the highest level, and it’s great that Olise is now back after two months out injured. We just hope that Liverpool can keep him and his teammates quiet on Sunday!

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It was a press conference full of injury updates from Jurgen Klopp but the manager has confirmed that he’s got a different plan for one man.

Speaking before the game with Atalanta, the German provided an update on Stefan Bajcetic: “Stefan is different a little bit because he was out for much longer, but he is now training with us for longer as well.

“But I think after the long spell he had without playing football it makes sense that we might give him a game at U21s and then let’s see how he deals with that.”

READ MORE: (Video) Klopp ‘100%’ promises more minutes to his ‘incredible talent’

It’s probably a good idea to allow the midfielder to take some time before making a first-team return, after less than 90 minutes played in the last year.

Let’s hope a patient approach will mean we see more of the 19-year-old, a consistent basis, in the coming weeks, months and years.

You can watch Klopp’s comments on Bajcetic (from 19:45) via Liverpool FC on YouTube:

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Jurgen Klopp has dropped a very encouraging update on two Liverpool players who’ve been sidelined with injury in recent weeks.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota haven’t featured since mid-February due to their respective knee injuries, while Alisson Becker has been out for a similar period and Stefan Bajcetic is closing in on a return after a seven-month absence (Evening Standard).

The Reds manager was asked for an update on the injured members of his squad in today’s press conference ahead of the Europa League clash against Atalanta at Anfield, and he had particularly positive updates on the vice-captain and Portugal attacker.

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When asked if there’s a chance of them featuring tomorrow night, Klopp replied (via Liverpool Echo): “We’ll have to see that. We didn’t rush it with the boys. Diogo and Trent worked as a group for two or three weeks and could do proper training. They looked very good yesterday.

“Stefan is different a little bit because he was out for much longer. It might make sense to give him a game for the under-21s. Alisson is on his way back as well. They are now back in training and now we’ll see how we involve them.”

Klopp added that the goalkeeper hasn’t resumed ‘full training’ as of yet, so his return may be another few days away.

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Whether Jota and Trent will be fit enough to make the matchday squad tomorrow night remains to be seen, as Klopp has stressed that he doesn’t want to rush them back, but it’s a very positive indicator that he didn’t explicitly rule them out of the fixture.

The vice-captain may be held in reserve for another match or two in deference to the thriving Conor Bradley, although the Portuguese winger might be given minutes against Atalanta if he’s able to play, with Luis Diaz, Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez having had virtually no rest in recent weeks.

If the European game comes a bit too soon for the impending returnees, there’s a good chance that they might make their comeback against Crystal Palace on Sunday, by which stage the Reds could be nudged down to third in the Premier League table should Manchester City beat Luton the previous afternoon.

The incredible ball-playing quality of Trent and cold-blooded finishing of Jota will make Liverpool an even stronger proposition during the final six weeks of the season, and the importance of their returns can’t be overstated. Seeing either or both of them in action tomorrow would be a massive boost for us.

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Liverpool fans have been rejoicing as we saw the like of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, Stefan Bajcetic and Alisson Becker back in training but they weren’t the only ones.

Taking to his Instagram account, Ben Doak uploaded an image of himself back on the grass alongside a caption of: ‘Almost’.

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It’s a great boost to be able to have the Scot back in the squad, as it could add for some respite for the attacking players in Europa League competition.

It’s unlikely we’ll see much of the teenager in the Premier League but he should be given some minutes, if able to play again in the coming weeks.

You can view the image of Doak via his Instagram account:

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Liverpool are on the cusp of welcoming several key players back from injury, although one potential concern has arisen ahead of the Europa League quarter-final first leg against Atalanta.

As reported by the Liverpool Echo, there was no sign of Wataru Endo in training on Tuesday, which may be related to him being substituted midway through the second half of the 2-2 draw at Manchester United last weekend.

That absence also comes just six days after he missed the home win over Sheffield United with a knock, with that problem perhaps recurring in the meantime.

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Considering how reliable Endo has been at the base of Liverpool’s midfield, and the effect that it’s had on Alexis Mac Allister by freeing him up to weave his magic in a more advanced position, Jurgen Klopp certainly won’t want to be without the Japanese enforcer tomorrow night.

It’d be far from ideal if the 31-year-old were to miss a second match in the space of a week due to injury, especially at a time of the season where the fixtures come thick and fast, and with so much riding on each one.

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The hope is that his absence from Kirkby yesterday may simply have been precautionary, and that we might see him involved in the pre-Atalanta session later today. The manager might also offer a more informed update during his press conference this afternoon.

Even with Curtis Jones having now returned to supplement Liverpool’s midfield options, and Stefan Bajcetic back in team training, it’d be a bitter blow to see Endo ruled out for even a short period of time, given how important he’s become to the Reds. Fingers crossed it’s nothing too serious.

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Liverpool fans could all do with some positive news following the disappointment of a draw at Old Trafford.

Neil Jones has the perfect remedy, sharing details of the Reds’ latest injury boost on X (formerly Twitter). The EOTK Insider columnist relayed a tweet from @LFC showcasing the return of Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota and Stefan Bajcetic to team training.

Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Jota and Bajčetić are all back training #LFC https://t.co/IqXv7A8jAT

— Neil Jones (@neiljonesgoal) April 9, 2024

The Merseysiders are set to next take on Atalanta in the Europa League before also welcoming Crystal Palace to Anfield this Sunday.

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Huge boost for Liverpool’s title push

As admirably as the likes of Caoimhin Kelleher and Conor Bradley have performed, there’s no question these are massive returns for Jurgen Klopp.

With only goal difference separating ourselves and Arsenal, in second and first place respectively, such an instant injection of quality could be a difference-maker down the line.

Let’s hope they’re all able to get involved in a jam-packed April of fixtures as soon as possible!

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Liverpool could soon be set for a massive injury boost, with three players believed to be nearing their respective comebacks.

According to the Liverpool Echo, Jurgen Klopp could welcome back Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota for the second leg of the Reds’ Europa League quarter-final against Atalanta on 18 April, with all three having been sidelined since mid-February.

In further good news on the injury front, Stefan Bajcetic is in line to resume training with the senior squad next week, having not featured for LFC in nearly seven months.

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While the ideal scenario would be for Liverpool to build a handsome enough lead in the first leg against Atalanta this week so that Klopp wouldn’t need to go full strength for the reverse fixture in Italy, it’d be quite the fillip if Trent, Alisson and Jota were all fit for the trip to Bergamo in nine days’ time.

There’s a good chance that the former two in particular may be held back for the Premier League visit to Fulham the following Sunday. Although Conor Bradley and Caoimhin Kelleher have performed commendably over the past two months, it’s likely that both would revert to the bench when the vice-captain and Brazil number one regain full fitness.

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The latter half of April sees a frantic period of four away matches in 10 days, so squad rotation will be paramount during that spell in order to give LFC the best possible chance of lifting two more trophies this season.

If Trent, Alisson and Jota are all available once more for that relentless run of fixtures, it could make a monumental difference to Liverpool’s pursuit of glory on the domestic and European front. In the meantime, we just need there to be no-one added to the injury list as the crunch games come thick and fast.

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Scott McTominay has been ruled out of Manchester United’s impending tie with Liverpool this afternoon.

The Scotland international’s absence marks the 56th case of injury or illness that has led to a United star missing a game.

“To confirm, Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has been ruled out of today’s game due to injury,” Simon Stone reported for BBC Sport.

The 27-year-old is joined on the treatment table by Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans, leaving the hosts with Harry Maguire and 19-year-old Willy Kambwala in the heart of defence.

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Liverpool must capitalise against Manchester United

It goes without saying that nothing is simple or predictable when it comes to facing our bitter league rivals.

That’s not to suggest we should be going into this gunning for anything other than an additional three points on the board beyond the 90 minutes.

With further injuries hitting the hosts, we have to be looking to capitalise in what could be a make or break tie in the context of the title race.

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Thiago Alcantara’s return to the training pitch may come sooner than we initially expected.

The Spanish international has been sidelined for much of the 2023/24 campaign, sustaining a fresh muscle issue in a brief cameo against Arsenal back in February.

If his latest snaps on Instagram are any indication, however, we’ll hopefully be treated to the sight of the technical wizard back on the Anfield turf before the season is out.

What an addition he would be amid our title charge!

You can catch the photos below, courtesy of Thiago’s official Instagram account:

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James Pearce has shared some welcome news on the injury front for Liverpool ahead of the showdown against Manchester United on Sunday.

The Reds overcame Sheffield United on Thursday night without Wataru Endo, who picked up a knock in last weekend’s win over Brighton and duly missed the subsequent fixture at Anfield.

However, writing for The Athletic today, the reliable LFC correspondent reported that the Japanese midfielder is now ‘expected to return’ for the trip to Old Trafford in two days’ time.

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As Pearce hinted in the same article, Endo’s projected return for the Manchester United game will most likely see him come back in for Ryan Gravenberch, who didn’t play anywhere near his best against the Blades last night.

The Japan captain has been excellent value for his £16m transfer fee during his first season at Liverpool, offering a tireless and commanding presence at the base of midfield, in the process freeing up Alexis Mac Allister to play further forward.

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That has duly unlocked the Argentine’s outrageous potential, as evidenced by a consistent streak of goal contributions in recent weeks, including that show-stopping strike against Sheffield United on Thursday.

The Reds have seven more fixtures coming up between now and 27 April, starting with the biggest of grudge matches away at Old Trafford this weekend, so Klopp will be desperate to have the strongest squad possible for that relentless run.

It’ll delight every Liverpool supporter to see Endo’s name on the team sheet on Sunday, should he be fit enough to come back into the line-up.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Could a surprise candidate now replace Klopp? The search after Xabi Alonso, Mac Allister the difference-maker? And much more!

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Alisson Becker is arguably the most important player in Jurgen Klopp’s squad that is currently unavailable and he’s provided supporters with an update on his fitness.

Taking to his Instagram stories, the Brazilian posted a picture of himself during his recovery at home and alongside the emoji: ‘’.

READ MORE: (Image) Injured Liverpool midfielder spotted with first-team squad ahead of Sheff Utd

It showed that there’s still some time to go until we see our No.1 back on the pitch but few can argue that Caoimhin Kelleher has filled the void expertly.

News from inside the AXA Training Centre is that our No.1 was in training on the day of the Sheffield United game and all focus is now centred on getting the stopper back after the Manchester United match.

You can view the Alisson update via his Instagram account:

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It seems that one injury is about to come to an end as one of Jurgen Klopp’s formerly stricken stars is with the squad for Liverpool’s game with Sheffield United.

Thanks to images circulating on social media, we can see that Curtis Jones was leaving the team bus as they arrived at their hotel before kick-off.

READ MORE: (Video) Klopp on what part of matchday is ‘always special’ for him at Anfield

This will be a massive boost to the squad, particularly with the volume of important fixtures on the horizon.

Let’s hope that we see the Scouser getting some minutes at Anfield, as he tries to return to full fitness as quickly as possible.

You can view the image of Jones via @AnythingLFC_ on X:

Curtis Jones has travelled with the squad! pic.twitter.com/H3zelfEG17

— Anything Liverpool (@AnythingLFC_) April 4, 2024

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