Trent Alexander-Arnold is described as having a “realistic” chance of being fit in time to face former club Liverpool for Real Madrid in the Champions League next month.
Alexander-Arnold has been limited to just 156 minutes across La Liga and the Champions League this season. The right back was initially forced to share time on the pitch with Dani Carvajal, before then suffering a hamstring injury five minutes into mid-September’s 2–1 win over Marseille.
The 27-year-old hasn’t played since, missing Madrid’s last five matches in both competitions as a result—including the humbling derby loss to city rivals Atlético.
Alexander-Arnold, one of several high-profile absentees from England’s October squad alongside Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer because of fitness issues, isn’t ready to return just yet. But, writes that he is targeting the trip to Liverpool on Nov. 4 after making good progress in the recovery process. Positively for him and Madrid, it is considered feasible he will be available.
If Alexander-Arnold is fit to play against Liverpool, and assuming he gets minutes on the pitch either as a substitute or starter, the likelihood of a hostile reception from fans inside Anfield is high.
The defender came through the ranks at Liverpool, born and raised locally, joining the academy from the age of just six. His eventual departure, having turned down the chance to sign a new contract and therefore preventing the Reds from commanding more than a negligible fee—Liverpool only got as much as £10 million ($13.4 million) because of unique circumstances surrounding the Club World Cup—was viewed as a betrayal by many of those who used to adore him.
In the closing weeks of last season, Alexander-Arnold was audibly booed more than once by fans at Anfield, while signs displayed by disgruntled supporters in the local area openly questioned his loyalty. However, the reception was at least warm in his final appearance for Liverpool on the last day of 2024–25, when the Premier League trophy was handed over.
An emotional Alexander-Arnold said after the final whistle that hadn’t known what to expect from fans in the wake of the previous animosity, but had insisted to manager Arne Slot that he still wanted to play for the club one more time, rather than disappear through the back door.
“The reception means so much to me,” he gushed at the time. “I have never felt more loved and more cared for than today. I hope that one day the fans are able to recognize the hard work I put in for this team. From six to 26, 20 years is a very long time. I have loved every second of it, it has been an honor and a privilege to be a part of this club.
“I’ll remember these moments for the rest of my life. This day will go down as the best in my life.”
The league phase draw of the Champions League threw Alexander-Arnold and Liverpool back together far sooner than most would have expected. But while fans acknowledged his service to the club for his last game, his swift return for his new team, if fit, is a different matter. It is ultimately a cold, hard reminder to supporters that he chose to leave them behind and go elsewhere.
