Liverpool defender Conor Bradley is one yellow card away from an automatic suspension in both the Premier League and Champions League following his booking in the recent defeat to Manchester City. With four cautions already in nine Premier League games, Bradley risks missing key fixtures if cautioned again. The situation is complicated by an injury to backup right-back Jeremie Frimpong.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot is dealing with multiple challenges this season, including disciplinary concerns surrounding right-back Conor Bradley. In the 3-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, Bradley received a caution in the second half, bringing his total to four yellow cards in just nine league appearances. Under Premier League rules, five bookings within a team's first 19 matches result in a mandatory one-match ban, a threshold Bradley could hit before Liverpool's January 4 trip to Fulham.
The risk extends to the Champions League, where three yellow cards lead to a suspension. Bradley has already been cautioned against Atletico Madrid and Galatasaray this season, leaving him one card shy there as well. Slot's options at right-back are limited due to Jeremie Frimpong's hamstring injury sustained against Frankfurt in late October. The Dutch international is not expected to return until early December, potentially missing Liverpool's busy November and early December schedule.
If Bradley is suspended, Slot would likely turn to Joe Gomez to fill the right-flank role. This disciplinary headache comes amid broader issues for Liverpool, who have conceded 17 goals in 11 league matches—more than mid-table Fulham—and struggled with consistency. Slot recently quipped about the team's form: “very consistent, but the thing is we were consistent in losing.” The integration of high-profile signings Alexander Isak (£125 million) and Florian Wirtz (£116 million) has also been slower than expected, with Isak battling fitness issues and Wirtz adapting to various positions.