Real Madrid Panic as Trent Alexander-Arnold Faces Potential Long-Term Injury Crisis

Real Madrid are "worried" that Trent Alexander-Arnold might be out of action for as long as two months due to an injury sustained during Tuesday's Champions League victory over Marseille.

Having had to compete for playing time this campaign with Los Blancos icon Dani Carvajal, Alexander-Arnold was given his first start since the international break for the French side's visit.

However, the former Liverpool defender was unable to capitalize on his chance to make a strong statement in the opening European fixture of the season, lasting merely five minutes before grabbing the back of his left hamstring. Carvajal came on as his replacement, though the 33-year-old ended up receiving a red card in the second period.

Based on reports from The Athletic, Real Madrid are worried that Alexander-Arnold might be unavailable for the next six to eight weeks. This raises serious questions about his availability for the Anfield clash when the team meets Liverpool in the Champions League on Nov. 4.

"We'll give Trent some time, it may not be as serious as it appears, but we need to be patient," was Xabi Alonso's response to the injury following the game.

There's a possibility that Alexander-Arnold won't be back until after the November international window.

This should provide Carvajal with a series of La Liga starts, but his suspension for the upcoming Champions League fixture presents an immediate challenge. There's no other natural right-back option in the senior squad, with Lucas Vázquez having departed when his contract expired over the summer.

Federico Valverde has previously operated at right-back, though the clear disadvantage is losing the Uruguayan's contributions in the middle of the park.

With matches arriving in rapid succession—Real Madrid have four more games before September ends, including the Madrid derby versus Atlético and a grueling 8,000-mile journey to Kazakhstan—Alonso has already implemented a rotation policy.

Vinícius Júnior was an unexpected absence from the starting lineup against Marseille, but the coach clarified that the choice was purely to manage the congested fixture list.