Trent Alexander-Arnold had to be substituted in the 55th minute of Real Madrid's 3-0 victory over Athletic Club after appearing to sustain an ankle injury. The former Liverpool right-back had finally picked up his first assist in La Liga when he set up Kylian Mbappe's early opener but had to be replaced early in the second half after receiving treatment.
Trent picks up agonising injury
Alexander-Arnold had enjoyed one of his more positive outings in a Madrid shirt on Wednesday night, finally picking up his first assist in La Liga since signing for the club in the summer from Liverpool. His long pass forward was brilliantly controlled by Mbappe, who sped through Athletic's midfield and produced an impeccable finish to send Los Blancos into the lead. Alexander-Arnold had also looked secure enough at the back despite being up against the lively Nico Williams, but he was soon down on the turf receiving treatment before he had to be withdrawn, with Raul Asencio coming on as his replacement. It's another worry for manager Xabi Alonso, who is already without first choice right-back Dani Carvajal due to injury, and he'll now have to await the results of tests to see how long the new man could be absent for.
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Alexander-Arnold's diffcult start to life at Santiago Bernabeu has been widely reported, with the Spanish press taking a pop at the England international after his previous performance in the 1-1 draw with Girona. He had been labelled "clueless" by a prominent journalist, having failed to convince many Madrid fans with his displays during his first few months at the club. However, he now finally has another assist to add to his first in Madrid colours which he picked up during the Club World Cup in the summer. It wasn't a trademark assist, with Mbappe doing a lot of the work to finish the job, but it certainly would have done the 27-year-old the world of good if he hadn't been struck down by a fitness issue later on. It comes just short of three months after he suffered a hamstring problem at the start of the season which caused him to miss six matches.
Second injury ruins Alonso's positive night
It wasn't just Alexander-Arnold's injury that Alonso now has to worry about. Eduardo Camavinga, scorer of Madrid's second goal on Wednesday, also received treatment before coming off. The Frenchman seemed to pick up a muscular issue, having suddenly pulled up off the ball, and he alongside Alexander-Arnold now faces an anxious wait as medical examinations are conducted and results are gathered. Camavinga suffered a severely disrupted 2024-25 season, making only 15 appearances over the course of the campaign, and a further setback would be devastating for the versatile midfielder. Alonso is already without some important players, namely Carvajal, David Alaba, Dean Huijsen and Ferland Mendy, and another injury would further restrict the options at the former Bayer Leverkusen boss' disposal.
Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid?
Alexander-Arnold will undergo tests over the next few days to learn the severity of his injury. It seems unlikely that he will be available for Madrid's next fixture, which comes on Sunday when they host Celta Vigo, while he may also be missing for the huge Champions League clash with Manchester City. After that, Los Blancos have fixtures against Alaves and Sevilla before a short break over the Christmas period. Their victory in Bilbao did alleviate some of the pressure building on Alonso's shoulders, with the former Liverpool and Bayern Munich midfielder facing criticism after a run of three La Liga games without a victory. They remain a point behind leaders Barcelona, who impressively beat Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night, and a strong run of form is now essential if Los Blancos are to wrestle the league title back off their famous rivals.
