View: 100% Conor Bradley may have solved Arne Slot headache in Southampton v Liverpool
Liverpool youngster Conor Bradley may have solved Arne Slot’s selection dilemma as the Reds prepare to travel to Southampton on Sunday.
Star right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to be ruled out for the contest (24 November) after suffering a hamstring injury in the victory over Aston Villa on November 9, which forced him to leave the pitch after 25 minutes.
The Northern Irishman has impressed when replacing the 25-year-old and it was no different on that occasion and his most recent performance on international duty will leave Arne Slot in no doubt that he can rely on Bradley in Alexander-Arnold’s absence.
The 21-year-old playing as a right wing-back scored and was awarded the Man of the Match for his performance in the 2-2 draw with Luxembourg.
Conor Bradley needs to take Liverpool chance
The youngster will likely get a rare chance to start against Southampton with the contest expected to come too early for Alexander-Arnold.
He is unfortunate that arguably the best right-back in world football is ahead of him in the pecking order but must take any opportunities that he gets to try to usurp the Englishman, especially as the 25-year-old could leave with his contract running out in the summer and Real Madrid reportedly circling.
The best way may be to perform consistently at international level, since he is not getting many chances to start when Alexander-Arnold is fit.
He certainly did that against Luxembourg, as he scored a finely taken header, had the most touches in the opposition box (5) and created the most chances for either side (3) to emphasise the attacking threat that he provides.
At the other end, he won 100 per cent of his four aerial duels and 100 per cent of his two ground duels, showing that he is also very capable when it comes to defending.
To reiterate his defensive ability, he also made six ball recoveries and one interception to cap a fine showing on both sides of the ball.
Regardless of whether Alexander-Arnold signs a new contract or not, Bradley will eventually force himself into the starting XI if he continues the way he is going, so he may have solved Slot’s dilemma for Sunday’s match but he might give the head coach a new problem.
In other Liverpool news, another Reds talent has been making waves with his national team.
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