The conspiracy theorists were on it immediately. Less than 10 minutes into Real Madrid's Champions League opener against Marseille, Trent Alexander-Arnold went down holding his hamstring. He had that resigned look on his face, combined with the shake of the head, the pained expression and the acceptance that something wasn't right, nor could it be immediately fixed.
And he wasn't wrong. Alexander-Arnold had indeed pulled his hamstring, as Madrid confirmed within the next 24 hours. There were two possible routes in response. The first was that of sympathy for a player who was making his way at a new club, in a new country, who could have done without an almost-immediate spell on the sidelines.
The second, and admittedly more Scouse, point of view went something like, 'Couldn't have happened to a nicer lad…'.
Those conspiracy theorists immediately pointed out that Alexander-Arnold's injury would potentially offer him an 'opportunity' to avoid the return to Anfield that had been added to Madrid's schedule when they drew Liverpool for the second successive season in the Champions League league phase. The England defender hardly received the warmest of send-offs when he left Merseyside back in May, so not having to face that same hostile atmosphere so soon after would probably have sat well with Alexander-Arnold.
Regardless, he has recovered in time, and is part of Xabi Alonso's squad for Tuesday's meeting between two of Europe's most successful teams. Quite how much of a role Alexander-Arnold will play, though, remains to be seen. As while he has regained his fitness, he will still waiting to truly make his mark on Los Blancos following his €10 million (£8m/$11m) summer switch that saw Alexander-Arnold's dreams "come true".
Getty Images SportMixed early bag
Alonso has repeatedly emphasised in the months since his side were battered by Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup that it wasn't really Madrid team that were dispatched by the Parisians at MetLife Stadium in the American heat. He has insisted that he didn't have enough time with the squad, and that he was, in effect, working with an exhausted outfit who were still reeling from losing a long-time manger in Carlo Ancelotti who had brought so much success to the club. There was only so much Alonso could do, he insisted.
One thing he did do, though, was trust Alexander-Arnold. The Englishman was in from the get go, and started the first five games of the tournament. A lot of Trent's signature moves were immediately obvious: pinged passes, roaming dribbles, the understanding of the kinds of angles that few defenders to have played the game quite comprehend. But then there were also his much-publicised and discussed defensive deficiencies as Madrid's right flank was repeatedly exploited by opponents.
When it came to the semi-final, Alexander-Arnold missed out due to muscle discomfort he suffered in training, thus avoiding the torture of being run ragged by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as he instead watched from the sideline as his new team were battered, 4-0. Federico Valverde started at right-back that day – as he presumably will on Tuesday, too – and there was almost a sense of relief that Alexander-Arnold wasn't available.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesIn and out
Given that 'competitive pre-season', it was assumed that Alexander-Arnold would hit the ground running once he and Madrid returned to Spain for the new season. Alonso showed faith in him early on as the full-back started the opening game of the Liga season, playing 68 agreeable minutes as Madrid stuttered their way to a 1-0 win over Osasuna.
Alexander-Arnold was unfairly targeted by the Spanish press – and some of the English media, too – but, in truth, he put in a typical performance that contained some nice passes but lacked chemistry with his team-mates. Alonso likes a rigid structure, and Alexander-Arnold didn't really stick to it. And so while he was by no means poor, he looked an awful lot like a player who was still settling in to his new surroundings.
Concern over Alexander-Arnold's fit intensified a week later when Dani Carvajal, himself still working his way back from a serious knee injury, started the next game against Real Oviedo. Alexander-Arnold played just four minutes as Madrid cruised to a 3-0 win, and post-match reports in the local media suggested that the two would rotate every game – something Alonso regularly practiced during his time at Bayer Leverkusen. Alexander-Arnold subsequently got the start against Mallorca in on matchday three, with Carvajal again stepping in for the following game.
Then came that Champions League injury, leaving Alexander-Arnold's post-Club World Cup stats to read as five appearances, three starts, 156 minutes played and zero assists or goals.
Getty Images SportCompetition for places
While Alexander-Arnold watched on from the stands, Carvajal had begun to come back into his own. He is not the same level of player as the fringe Ballon d'Or candidate from the 2023-24 campaign, but he remains a scampering presence who can make things happen in attack while remaining solid defensively.
Perhaps more importantly, Carvajal understands what it is to be . He is club captain, a true leader both on and off the pitch. He is, therefore, not an easy player to bench, and so when Alexander-Arnold picked up his injury, his absence wasn't necessarily felt all that much.
Unfortunately for Carvajal, he picked up a knee injury in late October that will require surgery and potentially rule him out of action until the New Year. That would, in theory, open the door for Alexander-Arnold to step back in, but he has remained on the bench in the weeks since his recovery in large part due to how well Valverde has done while filling in. The Uruguayan is a wonderful footballer who is capable of playing multiple positions, and his energetic and disciplined nature makes him an ideal fit for Alonso's system.
Getty Images Sport'New stage'
Alexander-Arnold was an unused substitute against both Barcelona and Valencia, meaning the chances of him being returned to the starting line up upon his return to Liverpool feel unlikely, even if Alonso hinted at the 27-year-old getting some playing time.
"He is good. He didn’t play [against Valencia on Saturday] because of the context of the game, but he is available for any number of minutes," the Madrid boss said in his press conference on Monday. "Tomorrow he may play, and after the injury he had we need his qualities; he has great qualities. He is in a new stage for him – sporting, physically and mentally. We need to give him what he needs because he is an exceptional player that we have in our squad."