The likelihood of Trent Alexander-Arnold starting against his former club Liverpool on his first return to Anfield next month has seemingly increased following Real Madrid’s latest injury report.
Alexander-Arnold brough the curtain down on his 20-year career at boyhood club Liverpool in June when he completed a £10m transfer to Real Madrid shortly before his contract at Anfield was due to expire.
The 27-year-old has played 10 times for Los Blancos in all competitions, but he has not featured for Xabi Alonso’s side since the middle of September when he sustained a hamstring injury less than five minutes into a Champions League win over Marseille.
Alexander-Arnold has since missed Real Madrid’s last eight matches across all competitions, but he returned to the matchday squad last weekend and watched on as an unused substitute as Los Blancos beat La Liga rivals Barcelona 2-1 on home soil in El Clasico.
Real Madrid’s No.12 has been building up his fitness in first-team training and is ready to be called upon by Alonso ahead of upcoming fixtures against Valencia in La Liga and Liverpool in the Champions League.
Real Madrid's Dani Carvajal on September 23, 2025
Carvajal injury setback opens door for swift Alexander-Arnold return
Midfielder Fede Valverde and Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal have both been used at right-back this season, but the latter is now facing a spell on the sidelines after sustaining an injury as a substitute against Barcelona.
A statement Real Madrid read: “Following tests carried out on our captain Dani Carvajal by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with the presence of a loose body in his right knee joint. Carvajal will now undergo an arthroscopy.”
Carvajal, who recently recovered from a muscle injury, could now be sidelined with his latest knee problem for the rest of 2025, and the door has now opened for Alexander-Arnold to fill the void at right-back.
Alexander-Arnold’s return to Alonso’s team would also allow Valverde to move back into his favoured midfield position, which could spell danger for the likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler and Dani Ceballos who have enjoyed game time alongside Aurelian Tchouameni in recent weeks.
Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold on June 12, 2025
Alexander-Arnold a contender to start against former club Liverpool
Should Alonso proceed with this tactical tweak, Alexander-Arnold could be chosen to start at right-back in Real Madrid’s next Champions League fixture away against his former club Liverpool on November 4.
Alonso recently confirmed that his returning Real Madrid players, including Alexander-Arnold, are all candidates to start in upcoming matches.
“I’m working on the premise that all the players in the squad can be starters. Then it depends on the mental, tactical, physical aspects, but they can all play,” Alonso told reporters following Real’s win over Barca on Sunday.
Alexander-Arnold is likely to receive a hostile reception on his return to the red side of Merseyside after rejecting the chance to extend his contract with Arne Slot’s team earlier this year.
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