Liverpool: Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has dispelled rumors of Bradley Barcola's injury, confirming in a post-match press conference that the French forward only suffered a cramp and there was nothing to worry about.
According to Thai News Agency, Barcola, who joined the team this season, is still in the process of regaining his physical condition as he did not play during pre-season with his former club, Paris Saint-Germain. In the previous game, he only played 30 minutes before getting more playing time in the latest match.
"Nothing to worry about. It's just a cramp, definitely not an injury. For Bradley, it's a matter of gradually building up his physical condition," Iraola said.
"Previously, we weren't very sure, or to be more accurate, we only recently found out how much playing time he would actually get because he didn't play in the pre-season with PSG at all. In the previous match, he played 30 minutes, so we still had questions in our minds about how many minutes he could realistically play in this match. Now we probably have a clearer answer."
Although Barcola hasn't yet scored his first goal, Iraola has praised the young star's performance and impact in attacking play.
"I'm very pleased with him, even though he had two clear one-on-one chances with the goalkeeper and couldn't score. But I wanted him to be in that position because that's where he needs to drop in and make a difference, to get into those dangerous areas."
"The fact that he only played a few minutes but managed to create two opportunities to go one-on-one with the goalkeeper is a very good sign for Bradley."