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On his return to Anfield for the first time since joining Real Madrid in the summer, Trent Alexander-Arnold has been named on the bench by Xabi Alonso.
Alexander-Arnold has not started a game since August because of injury. He was only named on the bench for Real Madrid's last two games, against Barcelona and Valencia.
Asked whether he had spoken to Alexander-Arnold about the reception he could receive at Anfield, Alonso said he hadn't during his pre-match press conference on Monday. "We haven’t talked about that," he explained. "We have talked about the team, about the club, and he has to have his own feelings, and he has to enjoy it in his own way."
"I cannot tell him how he needs to feel it," Alonso added. "For sure, it’s a little bit different from me; he’s born and bred in Liverpool.
"I remember him from a young age in the academy, coming into the first-team, winning the Champions League, so he deserves to enjoy that moment because it’s nice to be back, and for him it’s going to be nice."
Alonso has selected Thibaut Courtois in goal with a back four of Federico Valverde, Eder Militao, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras.
Arda Guler, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr make up the rest of the starting XI.
Alexander-Arnold is among the subs. The mural of the former Liverpool right-back near Anfield was vandalized just hours before his return.
The England international departed the Premier League side for a small fee with his contract expiring, moving to La Liga after spending his entire career to date on Merseyside.
The Champions League winner is expected to receive a frosty reception from the stands upon his reunion with Arne Slot and his ex-teammates.
Images surfaced on social media showing graffiti on the mural mere hours before the Merseyside clash. White paint was thrown over the artwork, accompanied by various "rat" inscriptions and a message in Spanish that loosely translates to: "Adios, the rat."
A cleaning operation saw the damage repaired ahead of the player and his teammates arriving.
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