Arne Slot says Trent Alexander-Arnold is not fit enough to start Liverpool’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid at Anfield — but he could play a role off the bench.
The England right-back returned to team training at Kirkby on Tuesday having been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury against Aston Villa earlier this month.
Alisson, Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa are still missing, while Kostas Tsimikas has joined the list of absentees after turning his ankle in training.
Slot is likely to hold Alexander-Arnold back for Sunday’s Premier League showdown with Manchester City with Conor Bradley set to start against Real Madrid.
“It’s funny that you talk about our injuries because most people only ask about the injuries that Real Madrid have. We have had a few recently,” Slot said.
“Trent is in the squad but he will not be available to start. He can maybe make a few minutes. In an ideal world he maybe doesn’t, but if it’s really necessary he can.
“Federico’s not in the squad yet. He’s training with us, not the whole session, but one or two parts.
“Harvey Elliott is with the team but hasn’t played competitive football for a long time. He’s there but not ready to start. Alisson is not there yet, Diogo is not there yet, Kostas is not there – he’s got an injury as well. It’s quite the list for us as well.”
Alexander-Arnold’s future is uncertain with his contract due to expire next summer. He has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid, but left-back Andy Robertson insists his close friend is solely focused on helping Liverpool secure glory this season.
Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are also inside the final year of their current deals.
Robertson said: “All I can say is that if you look at Mo today or yesterday, he’s the ultimate professional. The same goes for Virgil and Trent, who are in similar positions. They are so focused on the next game, training and preparing properly. They have been leaders.
“We don’t get distracted and they aren’t getting distracted. We’re all excited by the game tomorrow night.
“Trent is one of the closest friends I’ve got in the changing room. We kind of went on the journey together. He’s a fantastic footballer, fantastic person. The quality speaks for itself.
“He’s one of, if not the best right-back in the world. He shows that year on year and he’s still fairly young. He’s got a will to succeed and a will to learn. You’ve seen that this season as well. He’s a pleasure to play with. We’ve grown together within the full-back role and I’ve enjoyed doing that with him.”
(Top photo: Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
