Trent Alexander-Arnold was subbed off for the sixth time this season in the win over Chelsea, and the decision to do so this time became clear during Arne Slot‘s post-match press conference.
The Scouser has not always been best pleased when taken off the pitch before the final whistle, but it has often been a decision to protect him from himself during an intense schedule.
With international minutes now on the agenda for Alexander-Arnold, his load has increased and his fitness is a priority with a long season to navigate.
And Slot revealed after Sunday’s 2-1 win that the right-back was in doubt for the fixture having not trained early on in the week after returning from England duty.
The Dutchman explained: “Trent, you probably don’t know, was also not training in the first days after he came back, so he was a bit of a doubt before we started the game.”
In the end, Alexander-Arnold proved his fitness to play 81 minutes before being replaced by Joe Gomez – answering any questions over why the No. 66 was withdrawn early this time around.
He had a strong performance against the threat of Chelsea‘s forwards, winning all four tackles he contested in addition to five ground duels won from seven attempts, as per FotMob.
It was only the second time Alexander-Arnold was not replaced by Conor Bradley this season, as he did not make the matchday squad. Slot did not comment on why but noted him when addressing the issues across the squad.
“Conor Bradley is not in,” he stated. “Then we had Macca being sick, today Diogo had to be substituted.”
Liverpool will have to wait for further assessment on Jota, but Slot conceded that he would “be surprised if he’s there on Wednesday” when the Reds face Leipzig.
It is a match that could see Slot opt for rotation, and Alexander-Arnold could be a contender to start from the bench for only the second time this season as Arsenal await next weekend.
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