All eyes on Trent at Mestalla as Madrid weigh return | OneFootball

Trent Alexander-Arnold could return at Mestalla on the right, a scenario Arbeloa is considering and Madrid would welcome. According to AS, his comeback was first aimed at Rayo last Sunday, but the club waited, leaving him the only squad member yet to feature in 2026.

The club’s message is that there is no rush and patience matters. His two injuries, against Real Sociedad on 13 September and at San Mamés on 3 December, helped prompt doctor Niko Mihic’s early January return as medical supervisor.

Madrid have shielded him from unfounded English rumours that Arbeloa dislikes him or that the club want him out. He was reassured after the severity of his latest setback became clear, with Madrid keen he did not rush back. He was alongside Ceballos in Friday’s Valdebebas session.

If selected in Valencia, the former Liverpool defender has work to do. With Carvajal still unavailable and Federico Valverde likely to help in midfield, he would need to quickly rediscover what he showed before Bilbao, when he set up Mbappé’s 0-1 in the seventh minute.

That early flash and an embryonic link-up encouraged Arbeloa and the club. At Liverpool he routinely delivered in the final third, averaging a goal or assist roughly every three games. He was involved in 115 goals for the Anfield side, scoring 23 and supplying 92, and was central at set pieces.

Source: AS