Disaster struck early at the Santiago Bernabéu when Trent Alexander-Arnold appeared to suffer a hamstring injury just minutes into Real Madrid’s Champions League opener.
The England international pulled up on just his third touch of the game, grabbing the back of his thigh before dropping to the ground. Alexander-Arnold was assessed by the medical staff before he was forced to come out of the game in the fifth minute.
The injury comes in just his third start of the season at Real Madrid. Xabi Alonso overlooked the fullback at the weekend, only giving Alexander-Arnold eight minutes against Real Sociedad in preparation for the club’s Champions League bout with Marseille.
Still, the additional rest could not prevent the 26-year-old from sustaining an injury serious enough to replace him with Dani Carvajal only moments after the game kicked off.
Carvajal has won six Champions League titles with Real Madrid and has looked sharp to kick off the 2025–26 campaign following his ACL injury last season. Los Blancos will rely on their captain to lead them to victory against Marseille.
Still, Real Madrid wait anxiously for an update on Alexander-Arnold’s status, given that the club is already without the injured Ferland Mendy, Antonio Rüdiger and Endrick. Plus, Dean Huijsen faces a two-match La Liga ban for his controversial red card on Saturday, leaving Alonso without many options at the back.
The good news for Real Madrid is that Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga made their long-awaited returns from injury and are available for selection moving forward.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Real Madrid Champions League Debut Cut Short by Injury.
