Trent Alexander-Arnold saw his Champions League debut for Real Madrid end prematurely as he was forced off within only five minutes due to injury.
The English defender picked up an apparent hamstring injury in the club’s league phase opener against Marseille, going down after just three minutes as it became apparent he wouldn’t be able to continue.
He was replaced by veteran defender Dani Carvajal, whom he managed to get the nod over on the night but who he has previously struggled to start ahead of in LaLiga this term.
“It’s a really good competition [between the two players],” coach Xabi Alonso said last month of the battle for the starting right-back berth. “I like having that in each position, two players who want to show what they can do. It's really good for the squad.”
It acts as further disappointment for the 26-year-old, who has endured a patchy start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu since his arrival from boyhood club Liverpool in the summer and was most recently left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for England’s World Cup qualifiers in September.
Alexander-Arnold left the Reds on frosty terms, departing towards the end of his contract after 20 years at the club he grew up supporting.
While his parting memory was lifting the Premier League title, he was notably booed by Liverpool fans in the game that followed the announcement of his departure, a 2-2 draw with Arsenal in May.
He may have been bracing himself for a hostile reception upon his return to Anfield in the Champions League after Liverpool and Real Madrid were drawn to face each other on Tuesday 4 November.
However, he could now face a race against time to make fitness for that clash, depending on the severity of the injury.
