Trent Alexander-Arnold's Road to Recovery: When Will Real Madrid's New Star Make His Comeback?
Trent Alexander-Arnold's Real Madrid Champions League bow lasted merely five minutes before he suffered a hamstring problem.
Real Madrid's inaugural European fixture under Xabi Alonso nearly turned catastrophic. Los Blancos fell behind early against Marseille, Dani Carvajal received his marching orders, and Alexander-Arnold joined the growing list of players in white heading to the treatment room, grasping the rear of his left thigh after completing just three passes at the Santiago Bernabéu.
The Spanish powerhouse subsequently confirmed Alexander-Arnold's setback in an official statement: "Following examinations conducted today by the Real Madrid Medical Services on our player, Trent Alexander-Arnold, he has been diagnosed with a muscle injury to the biceps femoris in his left leg. Additional updates will follow."
Alonso will be anxiously awaiting Alexander-Arnold's recovery, but his marquee acquisition faces an extended absence while Real Madrid encounter some of their most challenging adversaries in Spain and Europe.
When Will Trent Alexander-Arnold Return From Injury?
According to The Athletic, Alexander-Arnold faces a six to eight-week absence due to his hamstring problem. Real Madrid have not yet released their own recovery timeline for the defender.
Nevertheless, Alexander-Arnold appears set for an extended spell on the sidelines, leaving Los Blancos without their first-choice right-back for potentially 10 fixtures. The former Liverpool player will miss some of the most significant La Liga encounters on Real Madrid's early schedule, including the Madrid derby on Sept. 27 and El Clásico on Oct. 26.
Alexander-Arnold will also be absent for Champions League encounters against Kairat Almaty on Sept. 30 and Juventus on Oct. 22. Doubts remain over the England star's fitness for Real Madrid's visit to Anfield on Nov. 4.
If Alexander-Arnold recovers within six weeks, he will target a comeback against Valencia on Nov. 2, positioning him for the Liverpool clash the subsequent week. Should he require the complete two-month recovery period, he might remain out until after the November international window.
Potential Trent Alexander-Arnold Replacements for Real Madrid
The natural successor to Alexander-Arnold on the right wing is Dani Carvajal. The experienced right-back has already accumulated 276 minutes in 2025–26, displaying no lingering effects from the ACL injury that sidelined him for nearly the entire previous campaign.
However, Carvajal cannot deputize for Alexander-Arnold in every fixture over the next six to eight weeks, particularly in the Champions League where he potentially faces a three-game suspension following his red card against Marseille.
Alonso must then consider David Alaba or Raúl Asencio to complete his defensive line, although both players have encountered difficulties in that role previously. Fede Valverde represents another possibility if Alonso has greater confidence in the natural midfielder defensively than his remaining two defenders.