Trent Alexander-Arnold has struggled to find his best form since joining Real Madrid from Liverpool in the summer but has been backed by fellow former Red Xabi Alonso
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has backed Trent Alexander-Arnold to come good at the Bernabeu despite the England defender's sluggish start in Spain. The former Liverpool right-back made the switch to Spain over the summer but has struggled to hit top form for his new club.
A hamstring problem hampered his progress in September, with Alexander-Arnold managing just five starts this campaign. However, the ex-Reds star has earned the complete support of Liverpool legend Alonso, who is also finding his feet with the Spanish giants this term.
Alonso returned to Real as manager this summer, more than a decade after concluding his five-year spell in their engine room. And in contrast to Alexander-Arnold, Alonso made an immediate impact in Madrid following his £30million switch from Anfield back in 2009.
Though he waited until his second campaign to secure silverware with Real, Alonso swiftly established himself as a crucial midfield presence. But despite being unable to empathise with Alexander-Arnold's current predicament, he has still rallied behind the former Anfield star during this difficult period.
"Trent is a top player, and we need him," said the 2010 World Cup winner before Sunday's journey to Girona. Real travel to Catalonia occupying second spot in La Liga, having surrendered top position to arch-rivals Barcelona following consecutive draws.
Alonso added: "It's his first year, and this adjustment period is normal. He's also demanding of himself, and we have to support him through this significant change."
A Kylian Mbappe quadruple led Los Blancos to a 4-3 victory over Olympiakos in the Champions League on Wednesday. Nevertheless, Real have drawn their previous two league fixtures and subsequently fallen a couple of points behind Barca.
Alexander-Arnold appeared in both those encounters after entering as a substitute at Rayo Vallecano, then completing the full 90 minutes against Elche. He had been absent from seven consecutive league matches prior to that while recovering from injury.
Meanwhile, Federico Valverde has spent much of Alonso's inaugural campaign deputising at right-back. Spanish veteran Dani Carvajal has also spent a considerable portion of this season sidelined and is presently unavailable due to a knee problem.
While his own Real arrival unfolded somewhat differently to Alexander-Arnold's, that doesn't prevent Alonso from sympathising with his player whatsoever. And amid purported speculation connecting him with a departure already, Alonso remains resolute about the solidarity shared among his squad.
Speaking at the same pre-Girona press conference, he said: "I've always felt that the team is united, and that we all know what the objective is: to reach the end [of the season] with a chance to win everything.
"We're together in the good times, and the not-so-good times. We have a good connection on a daily basis. Despite all the rumours and what some might say, we're very solid internally."