Trent Alexander-Arnold finds himself in a race against time to be fit for Liverpool’s season-defining month in which the Reds will face Manchester City twice.
Jurgen Klopp revealed on 18 March that Alexander-Arnold had suffered a hamstring injury that prevented him from playing in England’s friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast despite being called up by Gareth Southgate.
The right-back suffered the injury during a Premier League 2-0 win over Arsenal but played the full 90 minutes, after which Klopp said he would spend “weeks” on the sidelines, but did not specify how many.
The 23-year-old’s fitness has been a key part of Liverpool’s success under Klopp, playing every game for the Reds in the title-winning season and starting the Champions League final win over Tottenham.
More on Liverpool FC
The latest injury updates on Zaha, Cavani and Stones after the international break30 March, 2022
Liverpool, Arsenal and Man Utd all on TV as Premier League returns with much at stake30 March, 2022
Henderson: 'Liverpool aren't thinking about the quadruple, we're taking it one game at a time'28 March, 2022They now hunt down England’s first quadruple, one point behind City in the league, the same team Liverpool will face in the FA Cup semi-final. If they want to add a second Champions League trophy in four seasons, they must next make it past Benfica in the quarter-finals.
Alexander-Arnold has only missed three league games this season and has played over 3,000 minutes in the last two campaigns.
An update on his condition is expected at Klopp’s pre-match conference on Friday ahead of the Reds game against Watford (Saturday, 12.30pm).
Importance of Alexander-Arnold
Alexander-Arnold is the definition of a modern full-back, able to add another layer of strength to the attack in an inverted position.
His tactical relationship with Jordan Henderson is key to balance attack and defence as the midfielder often drops back to fill the space left by the right-back advancing.
Not only is Alexander-Arnold is not just another player of strength to Liverpool’s attack, he is arguably their main creator, with 17 assists this season, 11 of which have come in the league, placing him top of the assists chart above team-mate Mo Salah.
But the man who wears the number 66 has received criticism over his ability to defend which resurfaced when Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli repeatedly skipped past him during Liverpool’s 2-0 win over the Gunners, the game in which he seemingly suffered the hamstring injury.
That perceived weakness is perhaps also why he has not nailed a starting position under Southgate, but fans have been calling for the Liverpudlian to start because of the service he could offer England’s forward line with his trademark precise long balls and crosses.
Related Stories
from Football | News and analysis from the Premier League and beyond | iNews https://ift.tt/rWdhY9L
Post a Comment