Real Madrid receive major boost as injured defender set to return next week | OneFootball

According to a recent report from El Chiringuito TV, Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to return from injury next week, a development that comes as a major boost for Real Madrid as they enter the decisive phase of the season.

Real Madrid’s campaign has been heavily disrupted by injuries, with the defensive line suffering the most. 

At various points, the coaching staff has been forced to improvise, rotate excessively, or rely on players operating outside their natural positions. 

In that context, the prolonged absence of Alexander-Arnold has been particularly damaging, given the expectations that surrounded his arrival and the role he was meant to play in the team’s structure.

A troubling season

The English full-back has been sidelined since December and has already missed 23 matches this season. 

His lack of availability has prevented him from building any real momentum or rhythm. 

For long stretches, his presence has been felt more in theory than in practice, as Madrid played key fixtures without one of their most high-profile defensive signings.

Alexander-Arnold will return to training next week. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

Alexander-Arnold’s injury record this season explains much of that absence. He first suffered a tear in his left hamstring during a match against Marseille, an injury that kept him out for an extended period. 

Just as he was working towards a return, he then picked up a tear in his left quadriceps in Bilbao, dealing another blow to both the player and the club’s defensive plans.

Prior to that, he had also suffered a strain in his right leg during the Club World Cup, an issue that ruled him out of the match against Paris Saint-Germain. 

However, that injury falls outside the scope of the official 2025/26 season.

Now, with his return edging closer, optimism is growing inside Valdebebas. 

A fully fit Alexander-Arnold would offer Real Madrid much-needed stability and quality in defence, while also providing an additional creative outlet from the back. 

His availability could reduce the physical load on Federico Valverde and Dani Carvajal and give the coaching staff more flexibility at a time when margins are extremely fine.