Trent Alexander-Arnold suffered another muscle injury three minutes into his first Champions League match as a Real Madrid player, which begs the question: Did Jurgen Klopp destroy his hamstrings at Liverpool?
Alexander-Arnold’s move to Real Madrid from Liverpool was confirmed in May; he joined following the end of his contract at Anfield, though Los Blancos paid £8.5million to sign him early for the Club World Cup.
He made his La Liga debut on matchday one against Osasuna before being dropped against Real Oviedo, returning to the starting XI against Mallorca, and then coming off the bench against Real Sociedad.
Xabi Alonso gave the England right-back the nod for his side’s Champions League opening fixture against Marseille, but Trent only lasted five minutes after suffering what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
Some Liverpool fans have been revelling in Trent’s injury woes having disagreed with his decision to leave the club for Real Madrid, with some incredible copium on social media seeing supporters claim they ‘dodged a bullet’ by not agreeing a new contract with him.
Apparently Trent wasn’t allowed to try something new after devoting most of his life to Liverpool and winning everything possible with them. There was no downing of tools but eyeing a transfer to Spain years in advance and stopping the club from getting a significant fee was obviously diabolical behaviour and destroys his status as a Reds legend.
That’s a debate that’s been and gone, with the 26-year-old’s injury problems falling into the spotlight after sustaining a fresh issue on Tuesday evening.
There is already an argument that Liverpool have enjoyed the best years of Alexander-Arnold’s career, particularly in his younger years under legendary manager Klopp.
Since the start of 2023/24, Alexander-Arnold has suffered four separate hamstring injuries, an ankle injury, two knee ligament problems and also missed games due to muscular problems (Transfermarkt).
His fresh issue should keep Trent out for a month and around six Real Madrid matches; he has already missed 174 days and 29 games through injury in that time.
From his Liverpool debut in October 2016 to the end of 2022/23, Trent missed 23 games and 193 days.
The incredible intensity of Klopp’s football may well have cooked Trent’s hamstrings. The frequency of his injuries tells us as much.
He was used like a bar of soap during Klopp’s time at Liverpool and current head coach Arne Slot recognised that in his first season in charge.
Last term, Trent only played the full 90 minutes in 12 Premier League matches as Conor Bradley’s emergence allowed for more rotation at right-back. Slot, whose record at keeping players healthy is impeccable, might have added another two years to Alexander-Arnold’s career, and his two bench appearances in La Liga under Alonso indicate that the Real Madrid boss knows he should be managed carefully.
It’s not that Klopp didn’t manage Trent carefully; it’s that his style of play has taken its toll on a player who bombed up and down the right flank and pressed high up the pitch every week for the best part of eight years.
Now Trent is set to miss four to six weeks of action and there’s no sign of these little tweaks letting up. It’s not career-threatening, but this is a worrying trend for the player, Real Madrid and England.