Xabi Alonso’s creativity will be called upon in the coming weeks. Real Madrid’s coach will have to do without Trent Alexander-Arnold for an extended period due to injury. His replacement is also unlikely to be available for some time in the Champions League.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Champions League debut for Real Madrid was over after just five minutes. Without any contact from an opponent, the new signing from Liverpool FC went down in the third minute on Tuesday, and shortly afterwards the 26-year-old Englishman left the pitch injured.
The day after their 2-1 win over Olympique Marseille, Real Madrid confirmed that this was not a precautionary measure. “After examinations carried out today on our player Trent Alexander-Arnold by Real Madrid’s medical service, he was diagnosed with a muscle injury in the thigh muscle of his left leg,” the record winners of the Champions League wrote in a statement.
The Madrid club is keeping quiet about the exact length of his absence, saying that “further developments” remain to be seen. However, it can be assumed that Alexander-Arnold will be out for several weeks, with Marca, which has close ties to the capital club, estimating six to eight weeks. This means Alexander-Arnold would be out until at least the beginning of November and would miss not only the city derby with Atlético (September 27) but also the upcoming two Champions League games at Qairat Almaty (September 30) and against Juventus Turin (October 22), as well as the Clásico against FC Barcelona on October 26.
Things will be tricky for coach Xabi Alonso in the coming weeks, especially in the Champions League, as the only other right-back in the squad is facing a long suspension. Dani Carvajal, who came on for Alexander-Arnold on Tuesday, lost his cool in the closing stages. The 33-year-old headbutted OM keeper Geronimo Rulli and was sent off with a red card after VAR intervention. Carvajal will likely be suspended for at least two games for his violent conduct, if not longer.
Alonso will therefore have to get creative and field a player who is not in his usual position at right-back. In such cases, his predecessor Carlo Ancelotti would have pulled captain Fede Valverde back into the back line. However, it is also conceivable that center back Raul Asencio could help out on the wing.
