The England international has only played 156 minutes in 2025–26 for Los Blancos.
Trent Alexander-Arnold only lasted five minutes in his Champions League debut for Real Madrid before going down with a hamstring injury.
Real Madrid’s first European match under Xabi Alonso was nearly a disaster. Los Blancos went down early to Marseille, Dani Carvajal was sent off and Alexander-Arnold became the latest player in white headed to the infirmary, clutching the back of his left thigh after just three passes at the Santiago Bernabéu.
The Spanish giants later confirmed Alexander-Arnold’s injury in a club statement: “Following tests carried out today by the Real Madrid Medical Services on our player, Trent Alexander-Arnold, he has been diagnosed with a muscle injury to the biceps femoris in his left leg. Further updates will follow.”
Alonso will be eagerly counting down the days until Alexander-Arnold recovers, but his blockbuster signing is in for lengthy layoff while Real Madrid face some of their toughest opponents in Spain and Europe.
According to The Athletic, Alexander-Arnold is set to be sidelined for six to eight weeks with his hamstring injury. Real Madrid have yet to provide their own timeline for the fullback’s recovery.
Still, Alexander-Arnold looks to be ruled out for the foreseeable future, leaving Los Blancos without their starting right back for up to 10 matches. The ex-Liverpool star will be unavailable for some of the biggest La Liga fixtures on Real Madrid’s early match calendar, including the Madrid derby on Sept. 27 and El Clásico on Oct. 26.
Alexander-Arnold will also miss Champions League clashes against Kairat Almaty on Sept. 30 and Juventus on Oct. 22. Question marks surround the England international’s availability for Real Madrid’s trip to Anfield on Nov. 4.
Should Alexander-Arnold make it back in six weeks, he will be aiming for a return against Valencia on Nov. 2, making him eligible for the club’s bout with Liverpool the following week. If he needs the full two months to recover, he could be out until after the November international break.
The obvious choice to replace Alexander-Arnold on the right flank is Dani Carvajal. The veteran right back has already played 276 minutes in 2025–26, showing no signs of the ACL injury that kept him sidelined for almost all of last season.
Carvajal cannot fill in for Alexander-Arnold in every single match for the next six to eight weeks, though, especially in the Champions League where he faces up to a three-match ban for the red card he received against Marseille.
Alonso will then have to look to David Alaba or Raúl Asencio to round out his backline, though both players have struggled at the position in the past. Fede Valverde is also an option should Alonso trust the natural midfielder at the back more than his other two remaining defenders.