Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Carl Markham

Liverpool dealt blow with Trent Alexander-Arnold hamstring injury

PA Wire

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits there is no player in the world who could replace Trent Alexander-Arnold after the right-back was ruled out for a number of weeks with a hamstring injury.

The defender’s setback is a huge blow to the Reds’ hopes of maintaining their pursuit of an unprecedented quadruple with a key month ahead including a trip to Premier League title rivals Manchester City on 10 April.

Klopp does not have a ready-made senior replacement. Joe Gomez can play on the right but his preferred position is in the centre and the Reds boss will have to fashion a plan using him, midfielder James Milner and youngster Conor Bradley.

Alexander-Arnold has provided a career-best 16 assists this season, plus two goals, and that will be impossible to reproduce from somewhere else in the squad.

“Trent is out with a hamstring, so he will cannot be part of England as well. No good news,” he said. “We will see how long it will take but, of course, to replace Trent is difficult but possible. We always did it.

“The way he plays, I don’t know any player who plays like Trent in the world. So it will be difficult to find a one versus one replacement.

“We have Joe. Theoretically we can change the system as well. These kinds of things, so we have a couple of options, but you are right he is very influential.

“If you look in the past when Milly had to step in he did incredibly well. Incredibly well. He just has to be available and then that is fine. I don’t know if he will (be available) for Sunday (against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup).

“Maybe we have a very young solution (Bradley) as well.”

Klopp also has an injury worry over Mohamed Salah, who was only fit enough for a place on the bench in Wednesday’s win at Arsenal – the game in which Alexander-Arnold was injured but still completed 90 minutes.

“Mo felt his foot a bit after the game so we will have to see what they do with that,” added Klopp. “On top of that there are some other bits and bobs. We have to wait.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.