Trent Alexander-Arnold's difficult spell at Real Madrid has taken another turn for the worse, with the defender substituted due to injury during their La Liga encounter with Athletic Club. The former Liverpool man was included in Xabi Alonso's starting line-up on Wednesday evening, but was withdrawn in the 55th minute, with Raul Asencio coming on in his place.
Before his departure, Alexander-Arnold set up Kylian Mbappe's opening goal. The France striker added a second shortly after the interval, with Eduardo Camavinga also finding the net, before Alexander-Arnold was brought off with what appeared to be an injury concern.
It has been a challenging few days for Alexander-Arnold, with the England international facing harsh criticism following Real's 1-1 draw with Girona. The entire squad came under fire for an underwhelming performance, having also conceded three against Olympiacos earlier in the week, though Alexander-Arnold bore the brunt of the backlash.
Alfredo Relano, one of Spain's most prominent football journalists, lambasted Alexander-Arnold for his showing. He wrote: "Now that Trent is here, he seems like a clueless and insubstantial player, with the expression of a rabbit in the headlights.
"His quality at set pieces is masked by his right foot, but in open play he is non-existent."
Trent Alexander-Arnold returned to Anfield with Real Madrid back in November
Trent Alexander-Arnold returned to Anfield with Real Madrid back in November (Image: (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images))
AS, however, did commend the dead-ball element of his game, noting that he is 'becoming the team's set-piece specialist under Xabi Alonso'. However, creating opportunities from such situations could now prove challenging, as Alexander-Arnold seems to have sustained a muscular injury.
Los Blancos are set to play domestically this weekend against Celta Vigo before hosting Manchester City in a crucial Champions League showdown.
Alexander-Arnold's initial months in the Spanish capital haven't been smooth sailing, with an unrelated injury sidelining him for several weeks.
His comeback match was against his former team, Liverpool, at Anfield, where he was met with a chorus of boos from the home crowd as Real suffered a 1-0 defeat back in November.
Alonso has rallied behind his summer acquisition following a tough start at his new club, emphasising the player's importance to the team.
Ahead of the journey to Girona, he stated: "Trent is a top player, and we need him.
"It's his first year, and this adjustment period is normal. He's also demanding of himself, and we have to support him through this significant change."
Liverpool seemed to be managing well without him after winning their first six league matches, but serious issues at right-back soon surfaced.
Summer recruits Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley have been hampered by injuries this season, leading to Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai filling in that role.
However, Slot appears to have found a solution, with Joe Gomez taking up the full-back position in the weekend victory over West Ham United and keeping his spot for the midweek game against Sunderland.