"He asked for it because he felt something" - Arne Slot provides worrying injury update on Liverpool star
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has provided a worrying injury update on Trent Alexander-Arnold. The full-back was taken off in the first half during the Reds' 2-0 Premier League win over Aston Villa on Saturday, November 9.
The win cemented Liverpool's position at the top of the league table as Manchester City fell to yet another defeat. The Reds are now five points ahead of the Cityzens after 11 gameweeks.
While the win was a big positive for Slot, Alexander-Arnold's injury was a slight dampener. Giving an update on the full-back's fitness after the game, Slot said (via the club's official website):
"It's difficult to say how serious it is, but it's always serious if a player goes out in the first half. Not because I didn't like him, but because he asked for it himself. He didn't ask for it because he was tired, he asked for it because he felt something.
"That's first of all not a good sign, but it is always difficult so close after the game to tell you exactly what it is. Let's wait and see. I would be surprised if we will see him playing for the England national team this week, but hopefully he can."
Liverpool are next scheduled to play on November 24 after the international break, when they travel to face Southampton in the league.
How Liverpool's clash with Aston Villa panned out
Liverpool were strong favorites going into the home game against Aston Villa, who seemed to have lost some steam after a positive start to the league season. While it wasn't a high-flying start to the game from the Reds by any standards, they took the lead following a lightning counter in the 20th minute.
Mohamed Salah broke away from a Villa counter and Darwin Nunez took over to finish the move to give his side the lead. Alexander-Arnold picked up a knock soon after to be replaced by Conor Bradley.
Slot's side couldn't quite build on the lead as Villa went toe-to-toe with them. However, Salah's 84th-minute strike killed the game in the Reds' favor, and extended their lead at the top of the table.
Liverpool have now gone 13 games unbeaten across competitions and are also top of the UEFA Champions League table.