Real Madrid have confirmed that Trent Alexander-Arnold suffered a hamstring injury during Tuesday night’s Champions League opener against Marseille, adding an early setback to the 26-year-old’s spell in Spain.
The former Liverpool full-back lasted just five minutes at the Santiago Bernabéu before pulling up and being forced off in visible discomfort.
His replacement, club captain Dani Carvajal, would later be sent off in a dramatic match that still ended in a 2-1 comeback victory for Xabi Alonso’s side.
Speaking after the game, Alonso tried to offer cautious optimism.
“We are going to wait a bit,” the Real Madrid manager explained, suggesting the injury “might not be as bad as it seems.”
Real Madrid lose Alexander-Arnold for six weeks
However, the club released a statement on Wednesday confirming the issue, stating:
“Following tests carried out today by the Real Madrid medical services on our player, Trent Alexander-Arnold, he has been diagnosed with a muscle injury to the biceps femoris in his left leg. Further updates will follow.”
Alexander-Arnold could be sidelined for up to eight weeks, potentially missing several important La Liga fixtures and key Champions League group-stage ties.
This timeline would mean the England international may not return until late November, depending on the speed of his recovery.
The injury comes at a difficult moment for Alexander-Arnold, who has experienced a mixed start since arriving in Madrid.
Despite high expectations surrounding his blockbuster move from Liverpool in the summer, he has been benched in two of the last three La Liga games due to an underwhelming debut and the formidable competition posed by Carvajal.
Carvajal, now 33, remains an icon at the Bernabéu. Across his 13 seasons in the first team, he has lifted 26 trophies, including five Champions League titles, and continues to command enormous respect within the dressing room.
Alexander-Arnold has struggled after Liverpool exit
Displacing him was always going to be one of Alexander-Arnold’s toughest challenges, and the latest injury only complicates that battle further.
The Englishman was also dropped for Madrid’s La Liga fixture against Real Sociedad last weekend, highlighting his ongoing struggle to cement himself as a guaranteed starter.
With Carvajal’s leadership and consistency, Alexander-Arnold must not only recover physically but also fight to prove he can adapt and thrive in Spanish football once fully fit.
For now, Real Madrid fans will anxiously await further updates, hoping their new signing can bounce back quickly and begin to deliver on the promise that led the club to sign him.
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