Liverpool have reportedly learned how long Conor Bradley will be sidelined for following the 20-year-old's enforced withdrawal against Crystal Palace.
The 20-year-old was given the nod over the fit-again Trent Alexander-Arnold for the visit of the Eagles, who earned a shock 1-0 win at Anfield thanks to Eberechi Eze's strike.
The Englishman's first-half effort condemned Liverpool to their first Premier League home defeat in almost 18 months, although Bradley did not see out the full 90, going down in agony at the start of the second period.
Bradley came off worse in a clash with goalscorer Eze and had to be helped off the field by Liverpool's medical team, before Jurgen Klopp revealed that the right-back had overstretched his foot.
The Reds boss did not have an immediate update on how severe Bradley's problem was, but he admitted that the defender's injury was "very painful", suggesting that he would be sidelined for at least a short amount of time.
Bradley to miss Atalanta BC, Everton fixtures
According to the Liverpool Echo, Bradley's injury is not quite as bad as first feared, and the Northern Ireland international will definitely play again before the 2023-24 campaign is over.
However, Bradley is expected to spend around three weeks in the treatment room, meaning that he will miss the remainder of April and potentially the start of May unless his rehabilitation goes better than expected.
The 20-year-old has therefore been ruled out of the second leg of Liverpool's Europa League quarter-final clash with Atalanta BC, where Klopp's men need to somehow overturn a 3-0 deficit if they are to progress to the semi-finals.
Should Liverpool pull off another spectacular European comeback, Bradley may also miss the first leg of any potential semi-final with Benfica or Marseille, which would take place on May 2, seven days before the return fixture.
Liverpool also have three Premier League games scheduled for the remainder of the month, taking on Fulham (April 21) and West Ham United (April 27) either side of a Merseyside derby with Everton (April 24), all of which Bradley will sit out.
Should the Northern Irishman require the full three weeks to recover, he could also miss the visit of Tottenham Hotspur on May 5, but a comeback could be pencilled in for the trip to Aston Villa on May 13, Liverpool's penultimate game of the top-flight season.
What options does Klopp have to replace Bradley?
As Bradley joins long-term absentees Thiago Alcantara, Ben Doak and Joel Matip in the treatment room, Klopp will be counting his blessings that Alexander-Arnold is now fit and firing after his second knee injury of 2024.
The 25-year-old is expected to make his first start since February 10 when Liverpool clash with Atalanta in Thursday's second leg, while Joe Gomez was selected from the first whistle in last week's 3-0 defeat.
In addition, Stefan Bajcetic has now made a complete recovery from a calf problem, and he came off the bench for the Under-21s in a Premier League 2 win over Manchester United last week after making the squad against Atalanta.
The 19-year-old has mainly earned plaudits for his exploits as a defensive midfielder, but his only two senior appearances this term came as a right-back, offering Klopp plenty of choice while Bradley recuperates. body check tags ::
