Trent Alexander-Arnold will be reunited with his former Liverpool teammate Curtis Jones in the Champions League this week, as the right-back continues to struggle for game time at Real Madrid
Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to reunite with an old friend(Image: Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Trent Alexander-Arnold will be reunited with his former Liverpool colleague Curtis Jones this week amidst his struggles at Real Madrid under José Mourinho.
The right-back returns to European competition following Real Madrid's difficult 1-0 defeat to Real Betis in La Liga. The Spanish heavyweights will welcome Jones' Inter Milan on Tuesday in the opening Champions League match of the campaign.
This reunion arrives at an opportune moment for Alexander-Arnold, who is finding it difficult to establish himself at Real. Thus far, the defender has featured from the start in only one fixture this season, as new boss Mourinho opts to deploy Dumfries at full-back.
In contrast, Jones is thriving at Inter following his departure from Anfield in a summer move. He entered the action in the second period of Inter's 3-2 triumph over Napoli at the weekend, contributing to the dramatic turnaround.
The midfielder praised the Serie A outfit's supporters after the victory and expressed his affection for his new club. Jones said: "I'm absolutely over the moon. I am so happy to be part of a team and a club like this. It was obviously a hard game, but the lads stuck to the game plan. The fans were great throughout the whole match, and that is why we won.", reports the Liverpool Echo.
While both former Reds have begun their seasons in contrasting fashion, Alexander-Arnold will be anticipating the prospect of encountering a familiar face in the Champions League.
Mourinho has revealed his long-term strategy for Alexander-Arnold, essentially confirming he's not amongst the first names on his teamsheet.
Trent Alexander-Arnold of Real Madrid CF and Curtis Jones of Liverpool.
The ex-Liverpool duo will compete against one another in the Champions League(Image: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
He told AS: "The team has always been good. I haven't seen the stats, but we created a lot. We missed three or four clear chances and their goalkeeper made three or four impressive saves.
"I didn't make changes because I wasn't happy; they were to take off the players who had been booked. It's better to play with Trent and Yan Diomande than with Denzel Dumfries."
With Diomande still in his teenage years, Alexander-Arnold looks set to continue facing restricted playing time at Real. The right-back had been the subject of talk surrounding a remarkable return to Anfield this summer, with Andoni Iraola seeking to bolster his defensive options.
As the rumours continued to gather pace, the 27-year-old acknowledged that he will always consider Liverpool "home" in his heart. Alexander-Arnold told the Mirror in August: "I still watch every [Liverpool] game. I support them. I want to see them do well. I enjoy watching them, and there will always be a place in my heart for Liverpool, no matter what.
"It is home to me. It's the place that gave me the opportunities to go and do what I've done, and I will always love it. It's always a place that I'll call home."