Arne Slot has positive Trent Alexander-Arnold update for Liverpool fans

The Englishman missed November's international break due to injury but could return to action for the Reds soon.

Liverpool's start under Arne Slot could hardly have been better.

The Reds sit at the top of the Premier League with a five-point lead over Manchester City and have a 100% record in the Champions League. The only concern for Slot was the number of injuries he suffered in the opening months of the season, although he expects to get a key player back fairly quickly.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Slot confirmed that Trent Alexander-Arnold is close to a return: “Trent is not training with us yet, but he will be, so we expect him to be back with us soon.”

Asked whether the Englishman could play a role in the upcoming matches against Real Madrid or Man City, Slot replied: “That is something we have to wait and see. The last few days of recovery are always the toughest because they have to go from isolated workouts to full workouts.”

Alexander-Arnold has been out of action since suffering a hamstring injury in Liverpool's 2-0 win over Aston Villa earlier this month.

Arne Slot gives Liverpool injury updates

Liverpool's right-back is not the only one in the Anfield medical room at the moment. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker and forward Diogo Jota have both been out for more than a month and it seems unlikely that they will return in the coming days.

“All I can say is that with Alisson and with Jota, I don't expect them to be available for that match,” Slot said, when asked if the duo could be involved in next week's match against Real Madrid.

However, Liverpool will be buoyed by the news that Virgil Van Djik is back to full fitness and will start against Southampton this weekend.

There was good news about the fitness of Harvey Elliott, the young striker who impressed at the end of last season. He suffered a broken foot in September but appears to have recovered well and could be back in action soon.

Slot explained: “Harvey is training with us again, that is the positive thing. He is back on the training field with the team, which is positive for him.”