Arne Slot provides concerning Trent Alexander-Arnold injury update | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted "it is never a good sign" after Trent Alexander-Arnold asked to be substituted in the 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday.

The 26-year-old sat down on the Vitality Stadium turf with an apparent muscle strain and was replaced by Conor Bradley with 20 minutes of the game remaining.

The injury marred what was another supremely confident performance against an in-form Cherries side. Mohamed Salah's first-half penalty broke the deadlock, after Cody Gakpo was fouled by Lewis Cook, before the Egyptian's exquisite curling finish put the game to bed.

Slot was understandably asked about Alexander-Arnold's condition in his post-match media duties, with the second leg of Liverpool's Carabao Cup semi-final tie with Tottenham Hotspur due to be played on Thursday, and the Dutchman admitted he'd be "surprised" if the England star is able to play at Anfield.

"The situation was that he said to me, 'You have to take me off' and he sat on the floor and we took him off," Slot said. "He felt something, I can't tell you exactly what and how bad it is of course because we are one hour after the game, but it is never a good sign if a player is asking for a substitution.

"This is not a fact but I would be surprised if he plays on Thursday, but let's hope he is back with us as soon as possible."

Alexander-Arnold has found top form once again this season, proving a number of his critics wrong to help Liverpool soar to the top of the Premier League table. But his excellence has attracted unwanted transfer attention from Real Madrid, at a time when the Reds are desperate to renew his contract.

His current deal at Anfield expires this summer, as do the contracts of Virgil van Dijk and Salah, and it's been claimed that Alexander-Arnold has his heart set on joining Real Madrid in the summer - a move that could help fulfil his ambition to one day win the coveted Ballon d'Or.