Footage of Trent Alexander-Arnold being benched sums up exactly how he feels now

Trent Alexander-Arnold has had to settle for a bit-part role at Real Madrid so far, with the former Liverpool defender struggling to establish himself as a mainstay in Xabi Alonso’s team

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Real Madrid career hasn’t got off to the best start, with first-team chances looking scarce. The former Liverpool full-back had to settle for a place on the bench in Los Blancos’ win over Oviedo on Sunday, just days after being substituted on his La Liga debut against Osasuna.

Initially, Alexander-Arnold was tipped to be first-choice right back, but now appears to have been displaced by club captain Dani Carvajal. While manager Xabi Alonso has stressed that starting spots aren’t guaranteed, sources close to the club claim that the right back berth is Carvajal’s to lose.

That leaves Alexander-Arnold facing an uphill battle to kickstart his Bernabeu career. He may have to be patient and bide his time on the sidelines – though history suggests that won’t sit well with him.

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At the start of last season, Alexander-Arnold was substituted in each of Liverpool’s first three Premier League matches. Footage of him looking thoroughly fed up on the bench after being hooked for the second consecutive week quickly circulated, prompting manager Arne Slot to walk over and explain his decision.

The Dutchman later said he understood why Alexander-Arnold was unhappy and suggested, as Alonso did recently, that rotation and fitness maintenance were the reasons behind his team selection.

“Every player wants to play 90 minutes. But I don’t think the players that were on the bench from the start were really happy with the choice I made,” Slot said in August 2024. “Trent came back from the national team where in the beginning of the tournament he played quite a lot, then he didn’t.

“He had a few weeks off, came back, this is only his third game. We have to take care of him, because we need him for the whole season and not just the first two games… so we are taking care of Trent.”

At the time, doubts had emerged over Alexander-Arnold’s fit in Slot’s system, with understudy Conor Bradley pushing to take his place. Yet the England international bounced back, reasserting himself and ultimately becoming a mainstay as Liverpool surged to the Premier League title.

He’ll no doubt be hoping for a similar turnaround in Madrid. With Carvajal’s contract expiring at the end of the season, competition for places may be less intense moving forward – but his performances must improve if he’s to convince Alonso of his worth.

While his ability on the ball is undeniable, questions persist about his contribution off it, and he’ll likely need to iron out the creases in his defensive game if he’s to establish himself as a first team regular.

At Liverpool, being an academy-reared local helped fans overlook his defensive lapses. Real Madrid supporters, however, are unlikely to be quite so forgiving.

“It depends on what we need in terms of the game, the workload and the opposition,” Alonso told reporters when asked about his decision to drop Alexander-Arnold at the weekend.

“I haven’t made a decision for the next month. I’m going to see how we recover and to make sure that people feel important and ready to start, come off the bench or be able to be in the next game.

“This is important for the stability of the team’s performance… We have twenty-odd players in the squad and I’m going to try to get the best out of all of them. Sometimes you can have a few minutes and be important.”

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