Liverpool, Jan 11 (IANS) Liverpool suffered a major blow in the ongoing Premier League as defender Conor Bradley has been ruled out for the remainder of the domestic season after sustaining a significant knee injury involving damage to bone and ligament. The 22-year-old will undergo surgery in the coming days.

"Liverpool FC can confirm Conor Bradley has sustained a significant knee injury. The right-back suffered the issue in the latter stages of Thursday night's Premier League fixture away at Arsenal," the club said in a statement.

"Bradley will undergo surgery in the coming days and then begin a period of rehabilitation at the AXA Training Centre. No timeframe is being placed on his return to playing at this stage of the process," Liverpool added.

The 22-year-old Bradley had to be carried off on a stretcher in North London on Thursday late in the 0-0 stalemate against Arsenal. The Northern Ireland defender collapsed clutching his left leg after trying to deal with a loose ball in what initially appeared to be a harmless moment at the Emirates Stadium. Although it seemed he first turned his ankle before awkwardly wrenching his knee, it has since been confirmed that the incident resulted in a serious injury.

As Bradley fell near the touchline during stoppage time, Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli initially thought Conor was wasting time and threw the ball at the Liverpool player, who was also seen being manhandled.

Once the game finished, Martinelli realised his mistake. The forward issued a public apology on Instagram and also revealed that he reached out to the injured Bradley via text to apologise.

“Conor and I have messaged, and I've already apologised to him. I really didn't understand he was seriously injured in the heat of the moment,” Martinelli wrote on his Instagram story.

“I want to say I'm deeply sorry for reacting. Sending Conor all my best again for a quick recovery,” he added.

--IANS

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