Liverpool knows Trent Alexander-Arnold blow is probably a blessing in disguise

Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold has pulled out of the England squad for the upcoming Nations League games against Greece and Ireland after coming off injured against Aston Villa on Saturday.

The 26-year-old went down with a hamstring problem at Anfield and was withdrawn in the first half, with Conor Bradley taking his place for the remainder of the game. Arne Slot said in his post-match press conference that he did not expect Alexander-Arnold to be available for England, and that has proved to be the case.

"It's difficult to say how serious it is, but it's always serious if a player goes out in the first half," Slot said. "Not because I didn't like him, but because he asked for it himself.

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"He didn't ask for it because he was tired, he asked for it because he felt something. That's first of all not a good sign, but it is always difficult so close after the game to tell you exactly what it is. Let's wait and see. I would be surprised if we will see him playing for the England national team this week, but hopefully he can."

The Guardian reported that Alexander-Arnold may be available for Liverpool's first game after the international break, away to Southampton, having avoided serious injury by coming off immediately after feeling the problem on Saturday.

Despite Alexander-Arnold's withdrawal being injury-enforced, it could prove to be a good thing for Liverpool if he does not end up missing any matches for his club, with the right-back now set for a lengthy rest. There are 15 days between Liverpool's games against Aston Villa and Southampton, and Alexander-Arnold will be fresh in time for the game on the South Coast — provided his hamstring injury has healed in time.

Alexander-Arnold isn't the only Liverpool star who won't link up with his international teammates this month, with Mohamed Salah omitted from the Egypt squad as well. Egypt manager Hossam Hassan made the decision to rest Liverpool star Salah for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Cape Verde and Botswana. The decision is said to have been taken because the game against Cape Verde will take place on an artificial pitch, which increases the risk of players picking up injuries.

Egypt's match against Botswana will be contested on a grass pitch in Cairo, but it is said that it would have been unusual for Salah to have been called up just to take part in one match. Egypt has already qualified for the final tournament, which will take place between December 2024 and January 2025, after winning all four of its qualifiers so far, with Salah registering two goals in three appearances across qualifying.