During the second half of Liverpool’s Champions League encounter with Paris Saint-Germain, Trent Alexander-Arnold appeared to suffer a significant injury. The England international, who had been playing at right-back, had to be substituted for Jarell Quansah while Liverpool were trailing by a goal on the night. However, thanks to their late winner in the first leg in Paris, the aggregate score remained level at that point.
Despite their best efforts to find an equalizer, Liverpool were unable to respond to Ousmane Dembélé’s goal, which was the only one in the match at the time. With the tie balanced, the game headed into extra time as Jurgen Klopp’s side continued searching for a breakthrough.
### Alexander-Arnold in Visible Discomfort
The injury comes at a particularly bad time for Liverpool, with the club set to face Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday. Squad fatigue is already a concern for manager Arne Slot, but the potential absence of Alexander-Arnold, the team’s vice-captain, would be an even bigger setback ahead of the crucial fixture against Eddie Howe’s side.
Initial assessments of Alexander-Arnold’s condition were not encouraging. He appeared to be in a great deal of pain after rolling his ankle at Anfield, raising fears of a long-term absence. However, a slight silver lining was that he managed to leave the pitch without the aid of a stretcher, which may indicate that the injury is not as severe as initially feared.
If the injury turns out to be serious, it would be a cruel twist of fate for the right-back, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, there is now a possibility that he has played his final game for Liverpool.
### Liverpool Facing a Right-Back Dilemma
The injury further complicates Liverpool’s issues at right-back, with Conor Bradley still sidelined due to the injury he suffered in the match against Aston Villa. The team’s defensive depth in that position is now a major concern.
Alexander-Arnold had delivered a solid display against PSG, though his performance may not have been fully reflected in his Sofascore rating. Here is a summary of his key contributions during the match:
– **3 interceptions**
– **Dribbled past twice**
– **1 error leading to a shot**
– **4/9 ground duels won**
– **0/2 aerial duels won**
– **Lost possession 14 times**
– **4/7 long balls completed**
– **2/5 dribbles completed**
– **1 blocked shot**
– **1 shot off target**
One of the positives from his performance was his ability to contain PSG’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who struggled to make an impact at Anfield.
With Alexander-Arnold off the pitch and Liverpool now in extra time, the team will be looking to their star forward, Mo Salah, to produce a moment of brilliance and turn the game in their favor.
