Trent Alexander-Arnold's reaction to being benched sums up exactly how he feels now

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Trent Alexander-Arnold has a fight on his hands(Image: Getty Images)

Trent Alexander-Arnold's Real Madrid career hasn't started as smoothly as expected, with opportunities in the first team seeming limited.

The ex-Liverpool defender started on the bench during Los Blancos' victory over Oviedo on Sunday, just days after being substituted during his La Liga debut against Osasuna.

Initially, Alexander-Arnold was tipped to be the club's first-choice right-back, but he's since been playing second fiddle to club captain Dani Carvajal.



He may need to exercise patience and bide his time on the sidelines - although history tells us that might not sit well with him.

At the start of last season, Alexander-Arnold was substituted in each of Liverpool's first three Premier League matches.

"Trent came back from the national team where in the beginning of the tournament he played quite a lot, then he didn't.

Trent Alexander-Arnold looked unhappy after being substituted by Arne Slot last season

"He had a few weeks off, came back, this is only his third game.

With Carvajal's contract expiring at the end of the season, the battle for starting berths might ease somewhat going forward - though his performances must show marked improvement if he's to persuade Alonso of his value.

Alexander-Arnold appears to be Real Madrid's second-choice right back as things stand(Image: Getty Images)

Whilst his technical prowess on the ball remains unquestionable, concerns linger regarding his defensive contributions off it - and he'll probably need to address these weaknesses to cement his status as a regular starter.

Real Madrid fans, though, are unlikely to show such patience.

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"It depends on what we need in terms of the game, the workload and the opposition," Alonso told reporters when asked about his decision to drop Alexander-Arnold at the weekend.

"I haven't made a decision for the next month.