Trent Alexander-Arnold warns that the Premier League’s crippling injury list is because football has “cut corners”.
In a revealing interview, Alexander-Arnold says the lack of a longer pre-season after football’s resumption because of the pandemic has left players vulnerable and in danger of serious injury.
Alexander-Arnold has not played for almost a month with a calf problem and said: “We’ve got a long season, the Euros in the summer and any normal season this would be fine.
“As players, we are used to playing two or three games a week. That’s not changed.
“What’s different is the knock-on effect of the corners that have been cut at the start.
“If we’d have had a three or four week pre-season for each team and then be told to do this, you’d have a lot fewer injuries than are happening now.
“But people have cut corners at the start, so no-one’s body was ready to withstand this intensity.”
Champions Liverpool have suffered more than most since the start of this season, with Virgil Van Djik and Joe Gomez also out.
And not having the five substitute rule “doesn’t make any sense” to Alexander-Arnold.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been one of the most outspoken managers on the Premier League not following the rest of Europe in allowing five subs to ease the workload on players.
Alexander-Arnold said: “It’s hard to believe that it’s not been brought in.
"Look at the EFL, they’ve allowed it.
“It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever that in the most intense league in the world, we’re only using three substitutions.
“Every other organisation and league and Champions League, UEFA and internationals are all using it.”
*Trent Alexander-Arnold is a brand ambassador for sports nutrition brand Kinetica.
Sign up to the Mirror Football email here for the latest news and transfer gossip
