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Arne Slot has warned his players of the threat Trent Alexander-Arnold will carry should he get the chance to play against Liverpool.
The Reds’ former vice-captain is back at Anfield for the first time since leaving the club in the summer, with Liverpool facing Real Madrid in its latest Champions League encounter - although Alexander-Arnold will have to wait for his opportunity.
The 27-year-old was named on the bench by Xabi Alonso, having not played a single minute since making his return from a hamstring injury just over a week ago, although he could be called upon to make an impact against his old side.
Alexander-Arnold was booed by supporters at Anfield when he made his way out to warm-up with the rest of Real’s substitutes - a reaction that was somewhat expected, given the manner in which he departed in the summer, and the reaction that followed from fans.
Speaking to Amazon Prime Video ahead of the game, Slot was asked about his former right-back, and what sort of reception he anticipated from the fans.
“I have no clue,” Slot admitted. “I don’t even know if there is a reception if he does the warm-up before the game.
“That’s not the first thing that comes to my mind when I think about this game. It’s first the ones that play for me, and the ones that play for Real Madrid that I’m thinking about, and of course if Trent comes in, he can impact the game.
“I know more than anyone else - well, not anyone else, but I definitely know - because he did it a few times last season, when he came in at Newcastle, completely changed the game for us. Incredible player, and a great human being as well.”
Slot himself has made just one change to his side following the weekend’s win over Aston Villa, with Florian Wirtz returning to the side in place of Cody Gakpo.
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The German international is still searching for some form since making his move from Bayer Leverkusen during the summer, with plenty of talk about his place in the side over recent weeks, although Slot wasn’t giving anything away about his own thoughts.
Asked why it felt like the right time to bring him back into the side, Slot responded: “It feels right every time for Florian Wirtz, but I have more than 11 players to choose from, and tonight, as in many times before, I’ve decided to play him.
“If I play him, you ask about him, if I don’t play him, you ask about him, but he plays tonight.”
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