Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Return Comes When Real Madrid Need Him Most

The England international has not featured for Real Madrid since Dec. 2.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has missed most of his debut season due to injury. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Real Madrid right back Trent Alexander-Arnold is reportedly set to return from his lengthy spell on the sidelines this weekend against Valencia.

The summer signing’s debut season with Los Blancos has been marred by injury ever since he traded in his red shirt for a white one. Alexander-Arnold has only made 16 appearances for Real Madrid, and five of those came in last summer’s Club World Cup. 

A hamstring injury was the latest issue keeping the ex-Liverpool star out of action for the last two months. Yet MARCA report Alexander-Arnold is finally in line to be available for the team’s trip to Mestalla on Sunday.

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Will Alexander-Arnold Play for Real Madrid vs. Valencia?

Trent Alexander-Arnold has spent more time on the sidelines than the pitch this season. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

It goes without saying that the club will want to handle Alexander-Arnold’s return with extreme caution. The fullback already missed 23 of Los Blancos’ 34 games this season, and rushing him back to the pitch increases the risk of a potential setback, something Real Madrid cannot afford.

Therefore, the likeliness of Álvaro Arbeloa throwing Alexander-Arnold into his XI on Sunday is extremely slim. The Spanish boss will instead rely on natural midfielder Federico Valverde to lock down the right flank, as has been the case for the majority of the last season and a half. 

How the game transpires, though, could be the deciding factor on whether Alexander-Arnold makes an appearance or remains on the bench, out of harm’s way. Should Real Madrid have a commanding lead in Valencia, there would be no reason for the 27-year-old to see the pitch, unless Arbeloa wants to give him a brief cameo to kickstart his slow return to match fitness. 

If the visitors are struggling and in need of a goal late in the game, Alexander-Arnold’s services might be rendered necessary. He could provide a spark off the bench with his brilliant service and give Arbeloa’s often one-dimensional attack an infusion of creativity, from the right flank or even the midfield, as well as on set pieces. 

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Real Madrid’s Silverware Hopes Could Rely on Alexander-Arnold’s Fitness

Trent Alexander-Arnold could be the key to unlocking Real Madrid’s stagnant attack. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Real Madrid’s weaknesses this season are eerily similar to their woes from 2024–25, no matter which manager is at the helm. The team lacks a midfielder able to dictate the tempo of a game, is riddled with defensive injuries and relies too heavily on Kylian Mbappé to bail them out up top.

Signing Alexander-Arnold this summer was supposed to help fix the latter two issues, but his extended absences have done the opposite, especially with Dani Carvajal out as well. Suddenly the Spanish giants once again find themselves without a healthy right back in their squad for months at a time, a situation that can only be managed for so long.

Los Blancos have already crashed out of the Copa del Rey and fell in the Spanish Super Cup final. They now have just two more opportunities to win a major trophy this season—La Liga and the Champions League.

Snatching the Spanish crown from Barcelona is the more attainable of the two options since Real Madrid only trail their bitter rivals by one point. Yet they currently look incapable of sustaining the form necessary to collect three points week in and week out in La Liga.

The addition of Alexander-Arnold, though, would give Arbeloa’s men a lofty boost, not just in defense but also going forward. The Englishman’s playmaking might just be the key to unlocking the low blocks Real Madrid face on the regular, giving new life to a team crying out for some help.

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