Why Jurgen Klopp dropped Trent Alexander-Arnold in 2018 as he's benched at Real Madrid

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net.

Jurgen Klopp once dropped Alexander-Arnold for a match against Manchester City in 2018(Image: Getty Images)

Trent Alexander-Arnold likely never anticipated finding himself dropped to the bench in just Real Madrid's second game of the new campaign.

However, being omitted from the starting XI isn't completely unfamiliar territory for the defender, given that previous boss Jurgen Klopp once sidelined him for a pivotal Liverpool clash simply because it coincided with his birthday.

Alexander-Arnold's controversial and long in the making move to the Spanish giants took an unforeseen twist at the weekend, as he continues to grapple with his new surroundings.



He was surprisingly dropped to the substitutes' bench by Xabi Alonso for Real's encounter with Real Oviedo, with seasoned full-back Dani Carvajal, 33, getting the nod instead.

Alexander-Arnold, 26, did eventually feature, though he was forced to bide his time until the 87th minute.

In the past, Klopp had benched his right-back for a vital showdown with Manchester City back in October 2018.

Following the match, Klopp elaborated on the peculiar reasoning behind Alexander-Arnold's absence from the starting line-up, reports the Mirror.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was benched early on his Liverpool career by Klopp(Image: Liverpool Echo/Colin Lane)

"He is a fantastic boy and a fantastic player.

"I don't think it's a challenge, but if a player struggles with something like that [being dropped], he will struggle over his career.

"It was his birthday, the City game, so I thought the night before, a lot of people might have contacted him, so I didn't want to disturb all these message exchanges.

Nevertheless, he may face a battle to reclaim his position with Los Blancos.

Real manager Alonso indicated that nobody is assured of a starting berth, whilst he subsequently suggested that Carvajal might maintain his spot in the side for the foreseeable future.

Alonso said: "It depends on what we need in terms of the game, the workload and the opposition.

The Real manager hinted that the full-back's performances might be strong enough to earn him a recall to the Spain national team – and his glowing assessment of his fellow countryman will serve as an ominous sign for Alexander-Arnold.

"He'd like to return, but it's the coach's decision," Alonso said of Carvajal.