Liverpool send Trent Alexander-Arnold message ahead of Champions League reunion

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Liverpool Echo IconSportFootballLiverpool FCLiverpool take on Real Madrid in the Champions League next month and it will see a reunion with Trent Alexander-Arnold following his much-talked-about Anfield exit.Liverpool have sent their best wishes to former defender Trent Alexander-Arnold on social media as he celebrates his 27th birthday. The Reds' gesture has split opinion after his controversial move to Real Madrid - after his contract expired at Anfield.Despite leaving his boyhood club this summer, he could be in line for a return to Anfield as Los Blancos take on the Premier League champions in the Champions League on November 4.

It has been reported that the full-back will be back from a hamstring injury, which he picked up during Real's opening-round win over Marseille.It was reported in September that the England international would be out for at least six weeks with the issue, but reports now suggest the plan is to have him fit for El Clasico against Barcelona on October 26.READ MORE: Liverpool star Mohamed Salah brutally assessed as unseen Arne Slot anger highlightedREAD MORE: Virgil van Dijk disagrees with Gary Lineker as Trent Alexander-Arnold point madeBut the boost for Xabi Alonso means that Alexander-Arnold could return to Anfield as an opposition following his controversial and bitter Liverpool exit last summer.With less than a month between the two European giants meet, the official Liverpool social media accounts sent a message of well wishes to their Champions League and two-time Premier League-winning defender.They tweeted: "Happy birthday, Trent Alexander-Arnold."Despite leaving Liverpool three months ago now, the full-back has been mentioned a lot surrounding the club this week - and that comes amid criticism and the microscope which was was cast over Arne Slot's side following three consecutive defeats.It has been argued that the Reds have been hampered creatively since the exit of the England international, thus having a knock-on effect on Mohamed Salah as well as the rest of the team."In terms of creativity, as much as anything else, I think they're really missing Trent [Alexander-Arnold]," said now-former Match of the Day host Gary Lineker, this week."Before that, sometimes Trent would go forward and they would, perhaps, get exposed defensively. But what he gives you going the other way, it's impossible to replace."There is not another player I can think of in world football who plays that position [right-back] in the way that he plays it offensively."I also think that Mo [Salah] is missing him, that connection that they had."Yes, sometimes they would get exposed in behind, but they would have someone try and cover that position - last season it was mostly [Dominik] Szoboszlai, previous to that would be Jordan Henderson."You've got to say it was worth his weight in gold going forward, and I always used to say; 'Stop worrying about him [Alexander-Arnold] making the odd tiny mistake defensively, because what he also gives you the other way is incredible."