Jeremie Frimpong‘s latest injury concern points to a continuing issue at right-back, with neither senior option able to sustain a run of games in the starting XI.
The extent of Frimpong’s injury on international duty is currently unknown, but that he left the field 13 minutes after he was subbed on for the Netherlands points to another unwanted issue.
The 25-year-old has already suffered two separate hamstring injuries and a groin issue since joining the club in the summer, missing a total of 19 games for Liverpool so far.
Prior to signing from Bayer Leverkusen, the 25-year-old had missed only 11 games with an ankle injury in 2021/22, otherwise reporting a clean bill of health.
When you add in Conor Bradley‘s torrid run with injuries, it leaves Liverpool at a crossroads when it comes to their next step at right-back.
Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley seen as the future, but can’t be relied on
Liverpool have two elite young right-back options in Frimpong and Bradley, but both are proving to be unreliable physically.
At 22, Bradley has missed 42 games across the last two seasons to date, equivalent to 40.7 percent of Liverpool’s matches in that time, rising to nearly 50 percent in the current campaign.
He has been incredibly unlucky with some of his injuries, but the lack of reliability puts any hopes of being the long-term first choice under serious threat.
Frimpong, meanwhile, has missed 40.4 percent of the season so far, which has seen Arne Slot have to turn to the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo in the position.
It compromises the balance of the side having to shoehorn other players at right-back, which the head coach has lamented throughout the campaign.
Right-Back Availability: 2025/26 Season
| Player | Games Missed | % of Matches |
|---|---|---|
| Conor Bradley | 23 | 48.9% |
| Jeremie Frimpong | 19 | 40.4% |
* Data reflects competitive Liverpool fixtures across all competitions in the 2025/26 campaign to date.
“I don’t think the only position we struggled with was the right full-back position, I think there has been more positions, but right full-back is probably the one that stands out most,” the head coach said.
Liverpool spent £29.5 million to bring Frimpong into the side to address a need following the exit of Trent Alexander-Arnold, while also adding depth on the right wing.
But the Dutchman has managed only 1,344 minutes this season, merely 135 more than Bradley, leading to early questions about his ability to successfully adapt to the demands of Liverpool’s schedule.
He admitted earlier this year, prior to his injury against Qarabag, that the Premier League has proved more demanding on his body.
“It has been a big difference, I think, in terms of playing against the teams,” he said of the differences between England and Germany. “It’s much more demanding, much more physical.”
Frimpong was reported to have put on around 4kg of muscle mass and had turned to hot yoga and pilates to help aid muscle recovery in light of the change in intensity.
Slot also acknowledged the need to manage his minutes when Liverpool played three times in seven days before the March international break, and yet he started and played more than an hour in each.
It will also raise questions about the club’s fitness regime, which is already under the microscope with players showing clear signs of fatigue midway through any given second half.
Liverpool FC: Right-Back Depth Chart
| Player | Role | Starts at RB, 2025/26 |
|---|---|---|
| Dominik Szoboszlai | Likely Starter | 10 |
| Joe Gomez | Alternative | 5 |
| Curtis Jones | Emergency Cover | 2 |
For a player who relies heavily on pace, four separate muscle injuries in seven months will raise concerns over Frimpong’s longevity and ability to stay fit for prolonged periods.
Liverpool cannot afford to continually turn to a makeshift solution due to the injuries, especially at this time of the season, nor can they build a five-year plan on players who spend 40 percent of the season in the treatment room.
Do Liverpool need to sign another right-back?
The club were linked with making a move for a right-back in the January window as Bradley’s knee injury and Frimpong’s recurring issues mounted, but it never came to fruition.
Towards the start of the season, when neither Frimpong nor Bradley were able to start at Newcastle, Slot said: “You can’t prepare for two injuries in one position – it would be stupid for us to have three right-backs.”
The logic makes sense, but this season, as was also highlighted in 2024/25, the ‘stupidity’ of a third, reliable option is looking increasingly like a necessity.
If Frimpong’s injuries become a recurring theme and his explosive pace suffers as a result, and Bradley cannot sustain long periods in the XI, Liverpool have a decision to make in the summer.
Their needs are growing seemingly every day, with new wingers, at least one midfielder and potentially a left-back needed in the transfer window.
But the right-back position will also raise questions. The club can point to bad luck on the injury front, especially with Frimpong, but he has shown an extremely high re-injury rate.
Can Liverpool afford to stick with what they have but risk sacrificing the balance of their side to shoehorn players into the role if they succumb to further issues, or do they have to twist and invest in a different future at right-back?