Conor Bradley yet to prove fitness as 23-man squad train after title celebrations

May 1, 2025
Joanna Durkan

Liverpool supporters will rightly still be bleary-eyed as the celebrations continue, but Arne Slot‘s squad were back in training on Wednesday – though Conor Bradley has yet to take a key step.

The AXA Training Centre underwent a transformation to welcome the players back after two days off following their title triumph on Sunday, with clear reminders that they are the champions.

Twenty-five players were spotted in the building as Liverpool prepare for the trip to Chelsea – no, the season has not yet finished – but only 23 took to the outdoor pitches.

Bradley was not one of them after a knock in training last week forced his absence from the squad against Tottenham, with Arne Slot having anticipated him to return this week.

Intensity ? pic.twitter.com/wTGVlBBSB3

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 30, 2025

The Northern Irishman will have been working away from the main group, and with four days until Liverpool are back in action he still has plenty of opportunities to prove his fitness.

Any lingering doubt, however, will ensure Trent Alexander-Arnold remains in the starting lineup after playing 76 minutes over the weekend, his first start since his ankle injury.

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For Bradley, it is another concerning nod to his injury record, which has seen him miss 19 games this season – a growing concern with Alexander-Arnold still expected to leave this summer.

Joe Gomez, meanwhile, continues his rehab for a hamstring injury that Slot remains hopeful he can return from “in the last one, two or three games.”

It was a hot day in Liverpool on Wednesday, ensuring sunscreen in abundance for Andy Robertson, and that only served to boost the feel-good factor oozing through the squad since Sunday.

Focus has clearly shifted back to the work still to do on the pitch, with Slot unlikely to accept standards dropping in the final four games – with a title hangover left for supporters.

Chelsea are fighting to stay in the top five and secure Champions League football next season and thus will be no pushovers at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.