Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has made it clear that Conor Bradley should not be compared to Trent Alexander-Arnold, as the 21-year-old is given the opportunity to prove himself as the first-choice right-back.

With Alexander-Arnold set to depart at the end of the season after choosing not to extend his contract, Liverpool will be left with only one recognised specialist in the position.

Slot has already hinted that finding a replacement for Alexander-Arnold will not be easy, due to the transfer fees involved, but he also does not want to place undue pressure on Bradley.

The Northern Ireland international, who was not fully fit last weekend, has been given a chance to start against Arsenal this Sunday.

“Let’s not compare him to Trent just yet. They are two different types, in my opinion,” said the Dutch manager.

“With Conor, I think we all see the potential. However, last week, I walked onto the pitch with him and looked around, and it surprised me when he mentioned that he had a comment about the stadium as well.

“I looked at him as if to say, didn’t you know yet? He replied, ‘No, it’s the first time I’ve been here too.’ That was a bit of a surprise to me because for me, he’s already further along in his development than being in an away game at Chelsea for the first time.

“He’s a very talented player, Conor. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been fit for the entire season. To become a very good player, you must be available every week. That’s the first step he has to make for next season, but we have a lot of confidence in Conor as a very good full-back for Liverpool, which he has already shown over the past two seasons.”

Slot also expressed his support for 22-year-old centre-back Jarell Quansah, who had a difficult afternoon at Stamford Bridge.

The academy graduate, making only his third Premier League start of the season, scored an own goal, conceded a 90th-minute penalty, and left the pitch visibly shaken.

His season had already been challenging, having been substituted at half-time in the opening game at Ipswich and not regaining his place since.

“Maybe the last step he has to make is to avoid the moment that happened in the final minute,” said Slot. “He has all the qualities and has already shown that he can play for this club, but consistency is key to winning the league, and that is the most difficult part for a younger player to achieve.

“That’s why playing for Liverpool is so hard — to play in this team, you need to be exceptional, and he is, but perhaps it was a bit of bad luck that the other players remained fit and showed such consistency in their performances.

“To play for Liverpool, you need to get many things right, but if you do, he can play here for many years.”