Real Madrid CF head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has insisted the club are “lucky” to have Trent Alexander-Arnold after the defender marked his first league start of the year with an assist in Saturday’s 4-1 win over Real Sociedad.
The victory extended Madrid’s winning streak in La Liga to eight matches and sent Los Blancos to the top of the table.
Alexander-Arnold, who joined Madrid on a free transfer last summer after leaving Liverpool FC, has endured a stop-start debut season in Spain due to injuries.
Making just his sixth league start of the campaign, the 27-year-old wasted little time making an impact, setting up Gonzalo Garcia in the fifth minute to register his second league assist of the season.
The England international has been linked with a potential return to the Premier League amid limited game time, with Manchester City FC reportedly monitoring his situation as they look to strengthen at right-back.
Despite the speculation, Arbeloa was full of praise for the former Liverpool star’s intelligence and tactical awareness.
“We’re not going to discover anything new about Trent,” Arbeloa told the club’s official media channel.
“It was a nice surprise to see how he understands the game and recognises spaces. Those things are very important for a coach, having players who understand what we want, not just the passing to get the team running, but everything we ask from him.”
Alexander-Arnold was selected ahead of Dani Carvajal, who also recently returned from injury, allowing Federico Valverde to move back into midfield.
Carvajal replaced the Englishman for the final half hour, but Arbeloa reiterated his admiration, describing Alexander-Arnold as “a very intelligent guy” capable of drifting centrally and interchanging positions rather than remaining a traditional touchline full-back.
Arbeloa also addressed the absence of Kylian Mbappe, who was an unused substitute despite scoring his 23rd league goal of the season in last weekend’s win over Valencia.
The Madrid coach revealed the forward has been managing ongoing left knee discomfort and was rested with Tuesday’s Champions League play-off first leg against SL Benfica at the Estadio da Luz in mind, as Madrid look to secure a place in the last 16.
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