Arne Slot announces a troubling injury crisis with the festive fixtures fast approaching.

 

It seems every international break delivers its fair share of problems, but few could’ve predicted the scale of the latest blow confirmed by Arne Slot.

 

Addressing the media, the Dutchman revealed that both Conor Bradley and Florian Wirtz are ruled out of the Nottingham Forest clash, calling the situation “far from ideal”.

 

The timing couldn’t be worse, arriving during a brutal run of fixtures where we badly needed stability. For Wirtz, the setback is especially frustrating—his adaptation has already been a talking point back in Germany.

 

Just days ago, Sport Bild criticised the midfielder’s “quiet start” at Liverpool, even hinting that Mo Salah had “overlooked” him at times. Now that scrutiny collides with a muscle issue that Slot believes “might not be too long”, but still strips us of a creator at a moment when goalscoring chances have dried up.

 

Bradley’s condition, however, is the real gut punch. Slot says the Northern Irishman could miss up to “22 days”—unless, in his words, “a miracle happens”. With Jeremie Frimpong also ruled out, the coach warned that “one or two players may have to play out of position”.

 

Ironically, Bradley’s injury comes right after debates around his versatility, following his adventurous role for Northern Ireland where he occasionally appeared as the “furthest forward white shirt on the pitch”.

 

Those conversations about evolving his role across the season will now have to wait, as Liverpool must find someone else to fill the void. Joe Gomez was mentioned, but with the defender having completed just “two full games in 2025”, Slot is wary of overloading him.

 

The overall injury picture leaves Liverpool with almost zero room for mistakes in the next three weeks.

 

This is exactly why losing two key players hits so hard—especially after the Manchester City defeat exposed how badly we need dependable options across the squad.

 

There was some relief, though: Alisson Becker is back in full training, and Andy Robertson has rejoined the group.

 

Still, the good news is overshadowed by the losses of Bradley and Wirtz, a reminder of how quickly things can change in a long season.

 

As Slot summed it up, “we do have some issues after the international break.” And with tactical reshuffling now unavoidable, the coming fixtures may reveal more about Liverpool’s adaptability than any victory earlier this year.