Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced to sit in the stands at Anfield for the Merseyside Derby against Everton on Wednesday night, but he still found a way to get involved
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Updated 18:18, 03 Apr 2025
Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool
Trent Alexander-Arnold was in the stands for Liverpool's win over Everton
(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Trent Alexander-Arnold was injured and unable to play in the Merseyside Derby on Wednesday night. But despite his unavailability and the ongoing backlash among some supporters over his rumoured move to Real Madrid, the Liverpool defender was still involved at Anfield.
Alexander-Arnold was forced to sit out of the 1-0 win over Everton due to an ankle injury, which has kept him off the pitch since the 1-0 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain on March 11. The injury saw him miss Thomas Tuchel’s first two matches as England boss and he would have been similarly frustrated to sit out of the Everton match, given his local connections.
With Conor Bradley also unavailable, Arne Slot opted to play Curtis Jones at right-back instead of Jarell Quansah in the derby. The midfielder did an admirable job out of position as Diogo Jota’s second-half goal proved the difference in a tight affair.
Alexander-Arnold could have been forgiven for feeling sorry for himself, given his injury and the negativity he’s felt from some fans over his mooted move to Real, but that wasn’t evident on Wednesday.
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According to the Liverpool Echo, the 26-year-old stood by the tunnel so he could congratulate every one of his team-mates as they came off, with a special reception reserved for Jones, who got some words of encouragement.
There have been widespread reports that Alexander-Arnold has now agreed a five-year deal to join Real when his Liverpool contract expires at the end of June. He will therefore leave his boyhood club on a free transfer for the Spanish giants.
And while he has won every available trophy for the Reds after coming through the academy, some Liverpool fans have been angered by his apparent decision. A video of a fan burning an Alexander-Arnold shirt on social media went viral recently and many others feel irritated.
Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool
Trent Alexander-Arnold was involved on Wednesday night(Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside via Getty Images)
Arne Slot has continually emphasised that the futures of Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have not distracted the team from their goals. The Reds sit 12 points clear at the top of the Premier League and, with eight games left, require 13 more points to secure their first title since 2019/20 under Jurgen Klopp.
Speaking before the Everton game, Slot once again defended his right-back. He said: “His situation is unfortunately that he is injured, otherwise people would have spoken that he had one or two brilliant performances for the England team.
“But he is injured and for him that means he is fully focused on his recovery. For us it means we will try to help him to be back as soon as he can.” Alexander-Arnold won’t be fit for Sunday’s trip to Craven Cottage to play Fulham, but his understudy Bradley could be in contention.
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