By 
TYRONE’S Conor Bradley could be facing another spell on the sidelines after coming off injured during Liverpool’s hard-fought draw with Arsenal in the Premier League on Thursday evening.
Northern Ireland international Bradley landed badly near the touchline in stoppage time, falling to the ground and holding his knee.
Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli subsequently dropped the ball on the full-back before pushing him in the back in a bid to get him off the pitch to allow the game to continue.
That gesture caused a melee between the two teams, with Martinelli and Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate both yellow-carded for their parts.
After receiving sideline treatment, Bradley was taken away on a stretcher and was later seen leaving Emirates on crutches with a knee brace.
Martinelli later issued an apology on social media, saying the two players had been in contact and he had already apologised.
“I really didn’t understand he was seriously injured in the heat of the moment,” Martinelli posted on Instagram.
“I want to say I’m deeply sorry for reacting. Sending Conor all my best again for a quick recovery.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot defended Martinelli after the match, suggesting the wider issue of time-wasting in football may have led to the flash-point.
He said, “I think the problem for him – and it’s a problem in general in football – is that there is so much time-wasting and players pretending that they are injured in the final parts of the game and during the game, that you can sometimes be annoyed if you want to try to score a goal that you think the player is time-wasting.”
Although it is too soon to know the full extent of Bradley’s injury, Slot is concerned it could be serious.
