Conor Bradley is hopeful of being fit to play some part in Liverpool's title run-in after being out for the last month due to a hamstring problem.
The young right-back has not figured for the Reds since he came on as a second-half substitute against Aston Villa on February 19, only to have to come off before full-time after pulling up injured.
Bradley is not part of the Northern Ireland squad that will play friendlies against Switzerland and Sweden over the next week or so, and his national team manager, Michael O'Neill, revealed how the youngster is feeling.
“He’s frustrated, but his initial frustration has kind of subsided a little bit,” O'Neill told Sunday Life Sport. “His focus is on trying to get fit for the end of the season because there is so much to play for.
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“Liverpool has the league run-in which every player will want to be involved in, so I think the focus is on getting himself fit, and Conor is very diligent on that side of things. He will do everything possible to get fit and follow Liverpool’s guidance.”
Bradley also missed all of Liverpool's games in December due to a hamstring injury he picked up against Real Madrid at the end of November, and O'Neill suggested that the 21-year-old needs to improve how he manages his body during games.
“It’s difficult when your game time is as sporadic as Conor’s has been at times and when you come into a game, you want to show what you can do," O'Neill said. "We all know that Conor is a player who plays at full throttle all the time.
“We have talked about this that possibly he maybe needs to learn how to manage himself a little bit through the games at times.
“If you look at the game against Real Madrid, I think the injury came in the last 10 minutes, and that cost him because, obviously, his performance was fantastic that night and he doesn’t get the opportunity to back it up as he is out injured for the next game.
“And then he is put into a game (away to Aston Villa). With the intensity of the Premier League, you only have to be at a game live to understand that it is difficult to go into that situation, but Conor will be fine. He will be raring to go and, hopefully, he will finish the season strong and will then be available for us in June.”
