Xabi Alonso said Trent Alexander-Arnold is “ready” to start for Real Madrid at Rayo Vallecano on Sunday after recovering from injury and enduring a hostile reception at Anfield in midweek.
Alexander-Arnold played nine minutes in Madrid’s 1-0 defeat to Liverpool — being booed by the crowd on his return to his boyhood club — in his first appearance since September, after suffering a hamstring injury.
The England international has played a total of just 165 minutes for Madrid so far this season, as he faces competition from Dani Carvajal — now injured — and midfielder Federico Valverde at right-back.
“Yes, [Trent] is ready, he’s been training for a few weeks,” Alonso said in a news conference on Saturday. “Tomorrow you’ll know if he starts or not … In the circumstances, [Valverde] has played there and done well … He’s always ready to help the team. It’s an option we have.”
Alexander-Arnold, a long-term Madrid target, joined the club in the summer, but his impact has been limited so far and he was unable to influence Tuesday’s defeat at Anfield.
The result was Madrid’s latest high-profile loss under Alonso, following a 4-0 Club World Cup semifinal defeat to Paris Saint-Germain and a 5-2 loss to Atlético Madrid in the derby, although they did beat Clásico rivals Barcelona 2-1 last month.
“You have to put it in context,” Alonso said, when asked about stats which showed Madrid’s players had covered less ground (106.5km, compared to Liverpool’s 110.2km) in the match.
“We’ve had all kinds of games. You have to look at how the game went, you can’t make a definitive judgement on just one game … We’ve analysed the game, we’ve talked about it, and now it’s about Vallecas.”
“We want to be consistent in our performance,” Alonso added. “But we know not every game is the same. I have no complaints about my players’ attitude.”
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Alonso was asked about comments from former Madrid player Gareth Bale — now working as a TV pundit — after the Liverpool game, saying being Madrid coach involves “managing egos … Rather than just tactics.”
“It’s a dressing room with great players,” Alonso said. “We’ve started a new project, I’m very happy, and we’re making progress.”
Madrid visit Rayo top of LaLiga, with 30 points from 11 games, five points clear of second-placed Barcelona.