Trent Alexander-Arnold OUT of Carabao Cup final as Liverpool discover extent of injury

The Liverpool right-back limped off in the second half of the Champions League last-16 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday evening, and he will now miss the Wembley showpiece

Trent Alexander-Arnold will miss the Carabao Cup final for the second successive season, but the Liverpool right-back appears to have avoided a serious injury.

Alexander-Arnold limped off with an ankle problem in the second half of Tuesday night’s Champions League last-16 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield, and there were initial fears that he could miss the rest of the season, especially as he appeared to twist his knee awkwardly as he fell in a challenge with PSG midfielder Vitinha.

But, as per the Mail, Alexander-Arnold has avoided picking up a serious injury and it is hoped that he will play again for the Reds before the end of the campaign, after which his contract on Merseyside will run out amid continued interest from Real Madrid.

Alexander-Arnold was one of a host of injury absentees from the Liverpool squad for last season’s Carabao Cup final victory against Chelsea, along with the likes of Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez, Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai. Virgil van Dijk scored the extra-time winner as a depleted Reds side won 1-0.

Alexander-Arnold’s absence from Sunday’s showpiece final against Newcastle will be a huge blow for Liverpool, who are also currently without the services of Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez. Jarell Quansah came on for Alexander-Arnold against PSG, but he is more suited to playing at centre-back.

Alexander-Arnold’s injury will also come as a blow to the new England boss Thomas Tuchel, who would have wanted to name him in his first Three Lions squad on Friday.

Reds boss Arne Slot had said that it was too early to assess Alexander-Arnold on Wednesday, but he had more positive news on French centre-back Ibrahima Konate, who asked to be substituted during extra-time against PSG.

Slot said: “With Ibou, we expected only it to be that he was tired or he had some cramps so we are hoping and expecting that he will be ready to play Sunday again.”

Konate will likely line up at centre-back alongside Van Dijk, with Quansah coming in for Alexander-Arnold at right-back and Andy Robertson at left-back. Slot is also expected to pick Caoimhin Kelleher as his starting goalkeeper for the clash, having done so for the majority of the Carabao Cup run this season.

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