Klopp concerned as Alexander-Arnold suffers ´bad´ ankle injury in defeat at Arsenal

Trent Alexander-Arnold suffered a worrying twisted ankle in Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat Arsenal that caused him “too much pain” to carry on, Jurgen Klopp said.

Manager Klopp said Alexander-Arnold’s injury showed troubling signs of swelling, with Liverpool planning to get the right-back checked out on Monday.

The substitution of the England defender at half-time came after a dismal first-half performance, where he was arguably at fault to some extent for both of Arsenal’s goals prior to the break.

For their first, after just 58 seconds, Gabriel Martinelli ran in behind the full-back to drive a low shot past Alisson.

Darwin Nunez brought Liverpool level, but Arsenal regained the lead just moments before the break when Martinelli again charged down the left, this time tracked by Jordan Henderson. Alexander-Arnold rushed to help, but his presence only appeared to confuse the situation and Martinelli was able to centre for Bukayo Saka to touch home from close range.

Klopp stressed Alexander-Arnold’s withdrawal was enforced, however, just as Luis Diaz’s departure from the game with a knee complaint had been late in the first half.

Jürgen Klopp confirmed Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz will require scans on the respective injuries they sustained at Arsenal on Sunday.

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 9, 2022

“Lucho [Diaz] we had to change before [half-time],” said Klopp. “Something with the knee, not good. He will have a scan and then we will know more.

“I have no idea about the extent, and then on top of that Trent is bad as well with the ankle.

“[He] twisted the ankle, not good. Trent never, in seven years, went off if he could have played on. He was in too much pain, it started swelling immediately, so we will have to see.”

That injury looked to be caused when Alexander-Arnold was fouled by Martinelli.

Alexander-Arnold’s England place has recently been called into question ahead of the World Cup, with the Liverpool man left out of Gareth Southgate’s matchday squad for last month’s Nations League game against Germany.