In a recent report, The Daily Mail has claimed that Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to be sidelined for four weeks after picking up an injury in the 1-1 draw versus Manchester City last weekend. It is believed that the English defensive ace will miss the upcoming Premier League fixtures against Leicester City, Brighton and Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers. He will also be unavailable for selection in the UEFA Champions League matches versus Atalanta and Ajax at Anfield (via The Daily Mail).
Alexander-Arnold’s Season At Anfield So Far
This latest development will worry a lot of Liverpool fans as Jurgen Klopp has lost another one of his key defenders because of injury heading into the international break. With Virgil Van Dijk and Fabinho also missing in action, it won’t be easy for the Merseyside giants to cope with the absence of three senior members of their backline as the fixtures come thick and fast in English football this winter.
Alexander-Arnold has made a stuttering start to this campaign as he has struggled to hit top gear over the past few months. The Liverpool-born full-back has been involved in 11 matches for the Reds this term, securing three assists and two yellow cards across all competitions.
The 22-year-old has influenced the game at both ends of the field after averaging 1.0 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 1.3 clearances, 1.0 shots, 1.4 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per game in the Premier League and the Champions League thus far. He has even distributed the ball relatively well from the right flank as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 80.2% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
What Are The England International’s Best Attributes?
Alexander-Arnold is one of the chief playmakers in the Liverpool first-team as he possesses the vision and creativity to pick out a killer pass from the right-wing. He excels at interchanging passes with others around him and is also a potent goal-threat from long range.
The English talent is also a dead-ball specialist as he can strike the ball with a lot of dip and power. However, he is not the best defender as he lacks the pace to track the overlapping runs made by the opposition out on the wide areas.
Alexander-Arnold Out For Four Weeks: Huge Blow For Klopp?
With Alexander-Arnold facing a month-long spell on the sidelines, Klopp would have no choice but to give Neco Williams a chance to shine as his first-choice right-back. Otherwise, the Liverpool boss could always rely on the versatile veteran, James Milner, to fill in as a makeshift right-back like he did when he came on to replace Alexander-Arnold versus Man City last Sunday.
All in all, there is no hiding from the fact that losing Alexander-Arnold will be a massive blow for the Reds. However, Klopp still has a strong squad capable of outscoring the opposition and going on a winning run when the Premier League resumes after the international break.
