As Liverpool FC’s electrifying clash against AFC Bournemouth came towards a close, Trent Alexander-Arnold limped off the pitch during the team’s triumphant 3-1 victory.
Klopp calmly addressed the situation in his post-match press conference and played down the extent of Alexander-Arnold‘s injury [ via ECHO ] :
“I hope so (that he’ll be okay). He told me he had a kick which was pretty painful. But as far as a twist or fall, it was a kick. That’s why we changed then but I hope he will be fine.”
The England international has been a vital cog in Klopp’s dynamic Liverpool machine, orchestrating attacks from the right flank and showcasing his incredible defensive prowess. So, when he hobbled off the pitch in the 76th minute, it was surely unpleasant. Joe Gomez replaced the Scouser in the game in the later stages.
Klopp’s words, while not downplaying the concern, provided a glimmer of hope that the injury might not be as dire as initially feared. The Reds’ new system, thankfully, does not totally depend on Trent for creativity, unlike previous years. Different from before, we now have the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to offer some creative output as well.
Having said that, we surely cannot afford for Trent to sit out. He is an extremely vital cog in the team’s style of play, and in our new system as well, moving into midfield in transition, he puts in those crosses and pings passes from the middle of the park with a much wider perspective of the game than when playing a proper full-back instead.
But even if Alexander-Arnold is fit to play against Newcastle next weekend, it is still an issue that could crop up at any point during the season. It is possible that Liverpool could play a more conventional 4-3-3, but if the new system works, it would also be nice not to have to deviate.
While we have players who are more than capable of putting in a shift in Trent’s position, they do not promise the same level of attacking output as the 24-year-old does.
Hopefully, this issue does not pop up again and we can have an injury-free campaign for all our players.
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