The news that Trent Alexander-Arnold has avoided any serious injury will come as a welcome relief for Liverpool and Arne Slot.

Just at a moment when it seemed the Reds were getting back to a full complement of players for what could be a gruelling fixture schedule over the next few months, the sight of Alexander-Arnold being helped off by physios at Bournemouth was a major worry. Thankfully though, it doesn’t seem as though he’ll be missing for any great length of time.

Tottenham on Thursday looks as though it might be a little too risky, especially with Liverpool chasing a 1-0 deficit after the first leg of that Carabao Cup semi-final. You’d imagine then that Conor Bradley will be given his opportunity to deputize - and perhaps give Slot a new headache.

READ MORE: Carabao Cup transfer rules after Tottenham completes deal before Liverpool second leg

READ MORE: Why Liverpool rejected deadline day transfer bid after 'selfish' admission

There has been plenty of talk about how Liverpool will cope if Alexander-Arnold departs for Real Madrid in the summer, with some pundits suggesting that Bradley isn’t ready to step up to the plate. If those concerns come from anything but a fitness point of view, then they are way off.

Bradley has already perfectly demonstrated that he has the ability to be Alexander-Arnold’s long-term replacement. He might not be the attacking outlet that the Liverpool vice-captain offers, but he more than makes up for that with his defensive capabilities - Kylian Mbappe knows that only too well.

And, assuming he gets his chance on Thursday, Bradley could well leave Slot with a difficult decision to make on his first-choice right-back.

It has been slightly forgotten after the injury concern, but Alexander-Arnold was having another afternoon to forget at Bournemouth. He was given a tough time by Antoine Semenyo, and as one particularly outspoken former Liverpool player has pointed out, he may well have found himself coming off even if he hadn’t picked up a knock.

Of course, it’s not the first time this has happened recently. Alexander-Arnold’s performance against Manchester United at the start of the year saw him come in for some heavy criticism, and as Jamie Carragher pointed out after the game, he might well leave himself in a delicate position.

"With Conor Bradley now coming back, I think if Trent puts in another performance like that, I think the manager will put Conor Bradley back in," Carragher said on the Gary Neville Podcast.

Well, now it seems as though Bradley may get his chance, and if he impresses, he may well end up keeping Alexander-Arnold out of the side for what could be the final few months of his Liverpool career.

Only Alexander-Arnold will know how much of an effect that interest from Real is affecting his performances, but when more questions are arriving after that United display, it might be time for Slot to take action. Bradley has an outstanding chance now to stake his claim to become Liverpool’s new right-back.