Trent Alexander-Arnold is said to be “confident” he avoided a serious hamstring injury after being substituted early into Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
Though England are yet to confirm, Alexander-Arnold’s issue is expected to see him ruled out of their UEFA Nations League clashes with Greece and the Republic of Ireland this month.
But Liverpool and their No. 66 are hopeful that it is not a longer-term injury, as they await the results of a scan.
That is according to The Athletic‘s James Pearce, who writes that Alexander-Arnold is “confident that he isn’t facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.”
The club, meanwhile, are “hopeful that Alexander-Arnold’s prompt substitution helped to limit damage done to the muscle.”
Naturally there is no final verdict on the injury at this stage, with contingency plans in place in the form of Conor Bradley if the vice-captain is ruled out of Liverpool’s upcoming fixtures.
It is worth noting that Alexander-Arnold has already been playing through pain in recent weeks, requiring injections to manage a side strain picked up on England duty in October.
The hope will be that time spent recovering over the next fortnight – and perhaps missing the trip to Southampton on November 24 – will be enough.
Liverpool are certainly of that stance, with crucial meetings with Real Madrid and Man City at Anfield immediately following that clash at St Mary’s.
Alexander-Arnold has been one of Arne Slot‘s most-used players this season despite the availability of Bradley, with only five others clocking more minutes on the pitch.
Speaking after full-time in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Villa, Slot explained: “It’s always serious if a player goes out in the first half – not because I didn’t like him, but because he asked for it himself.
“He didn’t ask for it because he was tired, he asked for it because he felt something.
“That’s first of all not a good sign, but it’s always difficult so close after the game to tell you exactly what it is.
“But let’s wait and see. I would be surprised if we will see him playing for the England national team but hopefully he can.”
