Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed that Trent Alexander-Arnold will be unavailable for Thursday's EFL Cup semi-final second leg with Tottenham Hotspur due to injury.
The England international picked up a suspected thigh problem in the weekend's 2-0 Premier League win over Bournemouth, one that the Dutchman was unable to shed more light on at the time.
Reports subsequently stated that Alexander-Arnold would not be fit to face Spurs in midweek, although the right-back would only be out for a matter of days rather than weeks.
Speaking to reporters in Wednesday's pre-match press conference, Slot confirmed that his side would be without Alexander-Arnold's services on Thursday, and it remains to be seen if he is able to face Plymouth Argyle in Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round contest.
However, the Real Madrid-linked defender is already working with the rehabilitation coach on the field, indicating that there is a chance he could be available for next week's Merseyside derby with Everton on February 12 if the Plymouth clash comes too soon.
Slot delivers update on Alexander-Arnold injury
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"He is going to miss the game tomorrow and we have to see if he is able to play on Sunday. But what we do know is that he is not available for tomorrow," the Dutchman said.
"I think you saw that he left the pitch with a bit of a pain in his leg, so that's why he misses the game tomorrow. But he is already on the pitch, not with the team but with the rehab coach, so let's see how long it is going to take."
Alexander-Arnold has only missed one Liverpool match through injury this season, sitting out the 3-2 win over Southampton in late November due to a previous hamstring issue, which also saw him withdraw from the England squad.
The 26-year-old has contributed two goals and seven assists from 31 appearances in all competitions during the current campaign, but he is yet to extend his contract beyond the end of the season.
Liverpool have a 1-0 deficit to overturn against Tottenham thanks to Lucas Bergvall's controversial winner in the first leg, and they will defend their title against Arsenal or Newcastle United at Wembley on March 16 should they complete a second-leg comeback.
Who could Liverpool replace Alexander-Arnold with?
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Alexander-Arnold's loss should be Conor Bradley's gain, as the Northern Ireland international is expected to be given the nod at right-back for Thursday's second leg, having already started three EFL Cup games this season.
However, the visit of Tottenham marks the first of three games in the space of a week for Liverpool, who barring the stricken Alexander-Arnold have a fully-fit squad available at present.
If the Englishman's issue is serious enough to keep him out the upcoming matches against Spurs, Plymouth and Everton, Slot may very well consider an alternative solution at right-back if Bradley is not deemed ready for three starts in seven days.
One such option is Jarell Quansah, who has played at right-back in Premier League clashes with Manchester City and Newcastle United already this season but came off early in the first-leg loss to Spurs due to illness.
A fit-again Joe Gomez is another candidate to fill Alexander-Arnold's boots - he has played some minutes at right-back in Champions League wins over RB Leipzig, AC Milan and Real Madrid in 2024-25 - but the hope is that Alexander-Arnold will be fully functional by the time the Merseyside derby rolls around.
Ben Knapton
