Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to spend up to five weeks out of action due to the ankle injury that forced him to miss last Sunday's Carabao Cup final defeat.
Alexander-Arnold only played 73 minutes of Liverpools Champions League last 16 second leg against Paris Saint-Germain with ankle discomfort. That issue is now likely to rule the England international out of a significant chunk of the rest of what could be his final season with the club.
Arne Slot confirmed ahead of the Carabao Cup final that Liverpool were still waiting for assessments to be carried out to determine the extent of the problem.
The Athletic has reported that Alexander-Arnold suffered a high ankle sprain with some ligament damage. But things are described as "already going well" with his recovery and there is an expectation that the right-back will resume training "at some point in April".
Ultimately, while there is no set timescale, Alexander-Arnold is targeting a return to playing by the end of April. It will see him miss the upcoming Merseyside derby at Anfield following the international break, as well as clashes with Fulham, West Ham United and Leicester City. The estimated timeline could see Alexander-Arnold back for the visit of Tottenham Hotspur on 27 April.
By that stage, Liverpool will have just five games of the season left to play. In turn, those look increasingly possible to be Alexander-Arnold's last five with the club, with his contract expiring, no agreement to remain, and reports of a deal with Real Madrid being "99% done".
Due to already being in the last six months of his Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold is free to formally discuss his future with overseas clubs and is entitled to sign a pre-contract before the summer.
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