Real Madrid injury returnee tipped to start against Benfica | OneFootball

Trent Alexander-Arnold has recovered from his injury, just like Kylian Mbappé. With Álvaro Arbeloa's team still in the building phase after the coach's arrival in January, the full-back now has the opportunity to establish himself in the starting eleven and be an option for the match against Benfica.

The former Liverpool full-back, who returned to the field coming off the bench last weekend in Real Madrid's victory over Valencia, could start for the first time since December 3rd, after a strong start with the Merengues in the Club World Cup.

"After so much time out, we will proceed with caution," stated Arbeloa following Alexander-Arnold's return, while the newspaper AS reports that Real Madrid's goal is to have him in the starting eleven against Benfica in the Champions League play-off round on February 17th.

Even if Arbeloa opts for the experienced Dani Carvajal or the young David Jiménez for the starting lineup against Real Sociedad, it is expected that Alexander-Arnold will gain important minutes in this crucial phase before the clash against the Reds.

The playoff games are scheduled for February 21st in Lisbon and February 28th in Madrid, dates that promise moments of great excitement and could define Benfica's future in the European competition. It should be noted that Real Madrid is the club with the most titles in the Champions League: 15.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.