Liverpool has been handed a new injury worry after Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced off against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
The Reds vice-captain had to receive treatment after he seemingly twisted his ankle while sliding into a challenge during the second half against the French champion. Alexander-Arnold was tended to by physios before being replaced by Jarell Quansah.
The right-back had earlier come close to bringing Liverpool level on the night following Ousmane Dembele’s first-half opener, having struck the post with a superb effort in the second half. The subsequent follow-up, which saw Alexander-Arnold square the ball for Dominik Szoboszlai to tap home, was disallowed after Luis Diaz was caught offside earlier in the build-up.
Alexander-Arnold’s injury will come as a big blow to Liverpool, with the Reds already short of options at right-back. Conor Bradley is currently out injured, while Joe Gomez looks likely to miss most of the rest of the season.
It means that, should Alexander-Arnold be ruled out of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Newcastle, Quansah looks the most likely option to start on the right at Wembley. That in itself though could be a big risk for Arne Slot, as it would leave Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate as his only senior options at center-back.
Alexander-Arnold’s injury comes just days after Slot hit back at suggestions that his side has been lucky with player absences this season – a claim that has grown as the Reds edge closer to the Premier League title at Arsenal’s expense.
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“If you think injuries are part of good luck, and bad luck, then we’ve been lucky,” said Slot. “But we try to believe in the fact that we tried to prevent them from a certain way of working, because we don’t have many injuries, I don’t see that as luck.
“First of all, our players do everything they could to stay fit and, second of all, great facilities and great staff. You need to show that over a longer period of time to consider it luck or bad luck. If we can continue doing this for a few years then it’s probably also quality.
“Although, you can’t go through a season in the Premier League – and the Champions League and all these cups – without injuries.
“Diogo Jota has been out for three or four months, without a start, Alisson has been out for a few weeks, maybe even months, Trent [Alexander-Arnold], Conor Bradley, Joe Gomez has been out for three months so we have had our injuries but, yeah you cannot go through a season without an injury it’s more the amount of injuries that you try to prevent.
“It could be luck, but I hope that we be doing things the right way, that could not only be luck but doing things in the right way.”
