Trent Alexander-Arnold continues to struggle with his time at Real Madrid, with returning boss Jose Mourinho still not picking the defender in the starting lineup
Trent Alexander-Arnold has faced another brutal snub from Jose Mourinho
Trent Alexander-Arnold has faced another brutal snub from Jose Mourinho(Image: (Photo by Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images))
Another week goes by, and it's another one in which Trent Alexander-Arnold is facing questions over his decision to join Real Madrid from Liverpool.
The right-back was adored at Anfield, viewed as a hero after he came through the academy and quickly became a key face of the club's success during the Jurgen Klopp era. However, after letting his contract run down, the defender made the move to Real Madrid, in the hopes of winning the Ballon d'Or and becoming among the very best in the whole world.
The first season brought about a few challenges, however, which included struggles with form and fitness in a new environment, which saw him fail to hit the heights that he had shown during his time with Liverpool.
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Throw into the mix the arrival of Denzel Dumfries in his position over the summer, along with the hiring of Jose Mourinho as the head coach, and it quickly became clear that Alexander-Arnold's second season at Real Madrid could be key to his whole future at the club moving forward.
So far, Mourinho has seemingly preferred Dumfries at right-back, with Alexander-Arnold getting just one start there this season, while midweek saw the former Liverpool man drafted in as emergency cover in midfield.
However, in a return to La Liga action against Rayo Vallecano, the manager once again turned to the Dutch international over the English ace, in another frustrating move for the ex-Reds defender.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was left on the bench as Real Madrid returned to La Liga action
Trent Alexander-Arnold was left on the bench as Real Madrid returned to La Liga action(Image: Getty Images)
What would have made it even more annoying for Alexander-Arnold, however, was the fact that he didn't get a single minute on the pitch.
Mourinho opted to use just four substitutes, snubbing the right-back as an option to land some minutes to keep himself fit and available.
To truly hammer home the humiliation of that snub, the manager and his coaches then sent Alexander-Arnold and the rest of the unused substitutes out to take part in a fitness routine to keep them in top form.
It's a routine that is commonly used by coaches across the world to keep everyone fit, but it is a humiliating situation for the defender to be in, considering his dreams when he first made the move to the Bernabeu.
It remains to be seen whether Alexander-Arnold can push himself back into regular contention once again, with a long season ahead likely to give him chances to get into Mourinho's thinking for the starting lineup.
Next up for Los Blancos is a trip to Elche in midweek, where some rotation could hand the star a chance to feature, before a huge Madrid derby against Atletico Madrid next Sunday.
That then brings the team to the international break, where there will be a chance to assess the start of the season, before a run of matches across many competitions gets underway, with Alexander-Arnold hopeful that could bring about more success.