Trent Alexander-Arnold posts 5-word message after Real Madrid punishment and England snub

Former Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold posted a message to Instagram after being omitted from Thomas Tuchel's England squad and dropped to the bench for Real Madrid's derby win over Atletico

Trent Alexander-Arnold has posted a cryptic response on social media(Image: Getty Images)

Former Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold shared the message 'Real Madrid and nothing else' following his exclusion from both England and Los Blancos' starting line-ups.

Alexander-Arnold was relegated to the bench for Real Madrid's derby clash against Atletico Madrid but came on to set up Vinicius Jr's winner in a 3-2 victory for Alvaro Arbeloa's side. The 27-year-old made headlines after being left out of Thomas Tuchel's 35-man England squad for the upcoming international fixtures, with Tino Livramento and Djed Spence selected ahead of him.

His demotion to the substitutes' bench followed reports that he arrived late for a pre-game meeting ahead of the derby.

His departure from Liverpool sparked controversy on Merseyside after he allowed his contract to expire before joining international colleague Jude Bellingham at the Bernabeu. After a week dominated by discussion surrounding the defender, he took to Instagram to declare, "Real Madrid and nothing else."

Alexander-Arnold entered the action just past the hour mark, taking over from experienced defender Dani Carvajal. The England international was dropped after featuring in both Champions League victories against Manchester City, reportedly due to breaching the club's 'code of conduct'.

After the victory, Arbeloa commented, "Every game I choose the best starting XI. Dani Carvajal had great minutes and I'm very pleased with him.

"Trent had a great impact and I'm lucky to have many good options, and that everyone is contributing as they did today. I repeat once again, in every game I select the best possible line-up for the team."

There are fresh calls for Trent Alexander-Arnold to return to Anfield(Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside, Offside via Getty Images)

Real Madrid stayed four points adrift of La Liga leaders Barcelona following a dramatic five-goal encounter against Atletico Madrid.

Vinicius Jr netted a brace, with the decisive goal arriving 18 minutes before full-time courtesy of Alexander-Arnold's pass, securing victory over Diego Simeone's outfit. However, Los Blancos had to see out the closing stages with 10 men following Federico Valverde's straight red card.

Alexander-Arnold's debut campaign has been disrupted by persistent fitness problems, limiting his settling-in period at the Bernabéu. And it seems this has also impacted his place in England’s upcoming squad.

Thomas Tuchel excluded Trent Alexander-Arnold from his England squad(Image: Getty Images)

Tuchel justified his decision, saying: "I know very well what Trent can offer us.

"I played many times against him and suffered when he played against my teams with Liverpool. So I know very well about his strength and what he can give.

"But at the moment it is like we have evidence how good we were in September, October, November, and the players who are in camp for right full-back, they have to push for their ticket, they have to compete, they have to show again that they deserve this."

He has featured in 14 La Liga matches for Los Blancos and made an additional seven appearances in the Champions League, but his creative prowess hasn't quite matched his Liverpool days, with just three assists in the league.

An injury earlier in the season limited his participation in the Anfield clash, where his old club emerged as 1-0 victors courtesy of Alexis Mac Allister's goal, but he did make a brief appearance in the final nine minutes.

There remains a possibility for Alexander-Arnold to face off against his former team in the Champions League knockout stages. This could happen in the semi-final if Liverpool can get past current champions Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid can dash Harry Kane's dreams with Bayern Munich.