Bradley Barcola was forced off in the 60th minute of Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night, with manager Andoni Iraola providing an update on his injury
Andoni Iraola revealed the extent of Bradley Barcola’s injury after the £123million summer signing had to be replaced against Atletico Madrid.
Speaking after the 2-1 win over Atletico at Anfield, Iraola confessed his relief when Barcola confirmed he was simply struggling with cramp after being withdrawn on the hour mark.
Barcola went down off the ball clutching his left calf after attempting to run in behind the defence. The sight of him receiving treatment from the medical team on the pitch before hobbling off would have left Liverpool supporters anxious.
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Iraola was seen frantically asking Barcola about whether it was merely cramp as he made his way to the substitutes’ bench. The Liverpool gaffer delivered the positive news in a post-match interview with TNT Sports after the final whistle.
“It was just cramps, especially with Bradley [Barcola]. We are rushing him, he hasn’t played any minutes in pre-season, but today we decided to ask him to give everything he had,” Iraola said.
The Frenchman spurned two glorious opportunities to open his account in a Liverpool shirt, with Jan Oblak saving a close range effort in the first-half before he shot wide from a one-on-one in the second.
However, Liverpool started their Champions League campaign by beating the La Liga side for a second successive year following Alexis Mac Allister’s winning strike in the second half.
Dominik Szoboszlai cancelled out Marcos Llorente’s opener before half-time as his midfield partner slammed home the winning goal from 20 yards.
Having publicly spoken about his ‘sadness’ at not receiving a new contract in the summer in the build-up to the game after his midfield partners Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch both penned new long-term lucrative contracts, and revealed he had options to leave the club in the transfer window, Mac Allister showed how vital he is to the team when he’s at his best.
The Argentine has endured a poor 12 months, battling form and fitness, but his strike showed the quality he possesses, and Iraola hopes he can produce more consistently.