Alexander-Arnold to Miss Liverpool’s Cup Encounter with Spurs After Injury Setback

Liverpool’s defender Trent Alexander-Arnold (26) has been ruled out of the second leg in their League Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur due to a thigh injury, as confirmed by manager Arne Slot on Wednesday.

The reigning champions will seek to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Spurs at Anfield on Thursday without the right-back, who left the field in the 70th minute during Saturday’s 2-0 Premier League victory over Bournemouth.

This season, Alexander-Arnold has participated in 31 matches across all competitions, netting two goals and providing seven assists.

“He departed the pitch feeling some discomfort in his leg (against Bournemouth). He is already back on the training ground with the rehabilitation coach, so we’ll assess how long it will take,” Slot stated to reporters.

“We have to determine if he can play on Sunday (in the FA Cup fourth round), but he won’t be available for tomorrow.”

Academy graduate Conor Bradley is poised to step in for the England international, and Slot expressed his confidence in the 21-year-old’s potential for growth, given his 18 appearances in all competitions this season.

“He (Bradley) also played against Spurs in the first leg. Every match and training session presents an opportunity to learn, and if it doesn’t, then it wasn’t a productive session for me,” Slot remarked.

The manager underscored that he wouldn’t underestimate Spurs’ patched-up defence, despite Radu Dragusin likely being out for the remainder of the season due to an ACL injury, with Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie, and Micky van de Ven also unavailable.

“Even with all the injuries Spurs faced last time, we could have benefited, yet we still lost against those who were fit,” Slot noted.

“I’m curious if Micky van de Ven will be available, as he has a significant influence. It will be challenging, but we aim to perform better than last time.”