Arne Slot offers positive injury update for key Liverpool defender

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has revealed that Trent Alexander-Arnold will be included in the matchday squad to face Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The right-back will be in attendance when his suitors arrive at Anfield midweek, but may have little chance to impress the Spanish giants after sustaining an injury before the November international break. The England international did not join up with his country after picking up a hamstring problem against Aston Villa earlier in the month.

While he wil be part of the matchday squad, Slot has admitted that Alexander-Arnold has not sufficiently recovered in time to start the European clash.

"Trent is in the squad but he will not be available to start," the boss told reporters in his pre-match press conference. "He can maybe make a few minutes, in an ideal world he maybe doesn't, but if it is really necessary he can make a few minutes but he is not going to start."

The manager also took the time to deliver an update on the availability of other players.

"Federico [Chiesa] is not in the squad yet. He is training with us, not the whole session, but mostly one or two parts of the session. Harvey Elliott is in the team but hasn't played for a long time competitive football – so, he is there, but of course not ready to start.

"Alisson is not there yet, Diogo [Jota] is not there yet, Kostas [Tsimikas] is not there – he is having an injury as well, so it's quite a list for us as well."

Liverpool sit at the top of the Champions League table after a near-perfect start to the campaign. They will host Los Blancos on Wednesday before travelling to face Girona on 10 December.

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