Trent Alexander-Arnold is still waiting to make his mark on Real Madrid as ex-Liverpool favourite returns to Anfield for crunch Champions League clash

Alonso has repeatedly emphasised in the months since his side were battered by Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup that it wasn't really his Madrid team that were dispatched by the Parisians at MetLife Stadium in the American heat. He has insisted that he didn't have enough time with the squad, and that he was, in effect, working with an exhausted outfit who were still reeling from losing a long-time manger in Carlo Ancelotti who had brought so much success to the club. There was only so much Alonso could do, he insisted. 

One thing he did do, though, was trust Alexander-Arnold. The Englishman was in from the get go, and started the first five games of the tournament. A lot of Trent's signature moves were immediately obvious: pinged passes, roaming dribbles, the understanding of the kinds of angles that few defenders to have played the game quite comprehend. But then there were also his much-publicised and discussed defensive deficiencies as Madrid's right flank was repeatedly exploited by opponents. 

When it came to the semi-final, Alexander-Arnold missed out due to muscle discomfort he suffered in training, thus avoiding the torture of being run ragged by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as he instead watched from the sideline as his new team were battered, 4-0. Federico Valverde started at right-back that day - as he presumably will on Tuesday, too - and there was almost a sense of relief that Alexander-Arnold wasn't available. 

Given that 'competitive pre-season', it was assumed that Alexander-Arnold would hit the ground running once he and Madrid returned to Spain for the new season. Alonso showed faith in him early on as the full-back started the opening game of the Liga season, playing 68 agreeable minutes as Madrid stuttered their way to a 1-0 win over Osasuna.

Alexander-Arnold was unfairly targeted by the Spanish press - and some of the English media, too - but, in truth, he put in a typical performance that contained some nice passes but lacked chemistry with his team-mates. Alonso likes a rigid structure, and Alexander-Arnold didn't really stick to it. And so while he was by no means poor, he looked an awful lot like a player who was still settling in to his new surroundings.

Concern over Alexander-Arnold's fit intensified a week later when Dani Carvajal, himself still working his way back from a serious knee injury, started the next game against Real Oviedo. Alexander-Arnold played just four minutes as Madrid cruised to a 3-0 win, and post-match reports in the local media suggested that the two would rotate every game - something Alonso regularly practiced during his time at Bayer Leverkusen. Alexander-Arnold subsequently got the start against Mallorca in on matchday three, with Carvajal again stepping in for the following game. 

Then came that Champions League injury, leaving Alexander-Arnold's post-Club World Cup stats to read as five appearances, three starts, 156 minutes played and zero assists or goals. 

While Alexander-Arnold watched on from the stands, Carvajal had begun to come back into his own. He is not the same level of player as the fringe Ballon d'Or candidate from the 2023-24 campaign, but he remains a scampering presence who can make things happen in attack while remaining solid defensively.

Perhaps more importantly, Carvajal understands what it is to be Madridismo. He is club captain, a true leader both on and off the pitch. He is, therefore, not an easy player to bench, and so when Alexander-Arnold picked up his injury, his absence wasn't necessarily felt all that much. 

Unfortunately for Carvajal, he picked up a knee injury in late October that will require surgery and potentially rule him out of action until the New Year. That would, in theory, open the door for Alexander-Arnold to step back in, but he has remained on the bench in the weeks since his recovery in large part due to how well Valverde has done while filling in. The Uruguayan is a wonderful footballer who is capable of playing multiple positions, and his energetic and disciplined nature makes him an ideal fit for Alonso's system.

Alexander-Arnold was an unused substitute against both Barcelona and Valencia, meaning the chances of him being returned to the starting line up upon his return to Liverpool feel unlikely, even if Alonso hinted at the 27-year-old getting some playing time.

"He is good. He didn’t play [against Valencia on Saturday] because of the context of the game, but he is available for any number of minutes," the Madrid boss said in his press conference on Monday. "Tomorrow he may play, and after the injury he had we need his qualities; he has great qualities. He is in a new stage for him – sporting, physically and mentally. We need to give him what he needs because he is an exceptional player that we have in our squad."

For his part, Alexander-Arnold seems to have no regrets over his controversial decision. In an interview with Prime Video ahead of Tuesday's encounter, he revealed that he is taking three hours of Spanish lessons per week, and pretty comfortably cruised through a chunk of the interview in Madrid's native tongue having shown off his Spanish skills in his unveiling press conference back in June (much to the chagrin of some Liverpool fans!).

Alexander-Arnold conceded that he was nervous upon his arrival but has since grown in confidence. It is no secret that he is good friends with international team-mate Jude Bellingham, but he has reportedly developed other friendships around Madrid. Life in Spain is treating him well, too, with the food and sun helping during this settling-in period. Eventually performances will be demanded of Alexander-Arnold, but right now there is little concern in the capital over him becoming a flop signing.

Regardless of how much he plays, Tuesday's game will be dominated by Alexander-Arnold's presence. Naturally, the bulk of the pre-match questions towards the Liverpool camp have focused on the returning full-back.

“He was my vice-captain last season and I have memories of working with him which were only positive and have memories from watching him on television which were only positive as well," said Reds boss Arne Slot. "I can remember multiple great moments of his in a Liverpool shirt. He will get a warm welcome from me."

Virgil Van Dijk, perhaps unsurprisingly, was far more stern in his assessment of things, saying: "I haven’t spoken to him much since the move. It’s nothing personal, I live my life and he has his life in Madrid. I think he is a quality player, a gifted player, and he was important for us all those years. So I was happy to have him in my team, but now he’s an opponent. If he plays, we have to make it very difficult for him to do what he’s good at."

That sentiment probably encapsulates the general feeling among Liverpool fans as they prepare to 'greet' their former homegrown hero. Alexander-Arnold has avoided the spotlight since his move due to his injury issues, but now he will be thrust back into it, perhaps at the worst place possible.

Alexander-Arnold could, of course, silence the likely boos from the Kop with a virtuoso performance, the first of his Madrid career. However, given what's come before in his Blancos career, a low-profile cameo off the bench is likely all that can be expected of him right now.