When Trent Alexander-Arnold returns to action from a knee injury next month, Liverpool could have the freedom to utilise the home-grown favourite in midfield should they wish to try it.
The reason for it is simple: the emergence of Conor Bradley as a viable alternative at right-back.
Alexander-Arnold has made Liverpool’s right-back position his own since bursting on to the scene as a teenager towards the end of 2017. He remains one of the best attacking full-backs in the world and his technical skillset on the ball lends itself to that of a creative-minded central midfielder.
For all his achievements at club level in his career to date, including six major trophies and almost 300 Liverpool appearances, Alexander-Arnold has only played 23 times for England since his senior debut in 2018. It is partly the result of stiff competition in the country’s strongest position, partly the result of his occasional defensive frailties.
But England boss Gareth Southgate appeared to find a solution in 2023, using Alexander-Arnold in midfield in four Euro 2024 qualifiers home and away against Malta and North Macedonia.
Alexander-Arnold said in December that becoming a midfielder is “probably the path and the route that I’m on”, while Jurgen Klopp has softened his earlier reluctance – the Liverpool boss had already started using him as an inverted full-back stepping into midfield in the closing stages of last season.
The issue that remained for Liverpool was how they might replace Alexander-Arnold on the right-hand side of the defence. Other options until now haven’t really been suited to the role, with Joe Gomez a natural centre-back asked to cover out wide and lacking the attacking attributes.
Calvin Ramsay joined Liverpool from Aberdeen in 2022 but made only two appearances before injury prematurely ended his debut season. The 20-year-old is currently on loan at Preston North End in the second tier. Stefan Bajcetic has also been used at right-back but is a midfielder by trade and has suffered with his own frustrating injury problems that have limited playing time.
But Conor Bradley, who made his senior Liverpool debut back in September 2021 prior to spending a very positive year on loan in League One last season with Bolton Wanderers, appears that he might be the option to properly unleash Alexander-Arnold further forward.
The Northern Ireland international is yet to get a chance in the Premier League but has been a regular in matchday squads since recovering from a back injury earlier in the season. His five senior appearances so far in 2023/24 have come across all three domestic and European cup competitions and Wednesday night’s performance in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Fulham, during which Liverpool came from a goal behind to win 2-1, was a statement of his vast potential.
Having previously managed seven goals in all competitions for Bolton, Bradley showed his endeavour to get forward and provide an attacking threat but also always held his own defensively too – Fulham’s best opportunities on the night all came from their right flank.
Klopp is already a big admirer of the 20-year-old too, admitting afterwards that it had only been a matter of time before his chance would come in a more meaningful fixture.
“I told him before the game already I was waiting for that moment that we can give him the opportunity,” the Liverpool boss reflected. “I was really waiting for it because when he got injured in pre-season, my opinion about him was already [high] and then he was out for a pretty long time.”
Klopp went on to describe him as a “top boy”. And, with that game under his belt and Alexander-Arnold not available for at least another few weeks, it makes sense for the manager to keep Bradley in the team during that period. And when Liverpool’s number 66 returns from injury in due course, it has the potential to unlock a different kind of future for both him and the team.
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