Trent Alexander-Arnold struggles for minutes at Real Madrid behind Federico Valverde

Trent Alexander-Arnold faces an uphill battle for playing time at Real Madrid under manager José Mourinho, with the England international logging roughly fifty minutes of action since the international break and finding himself firmly behind Federico Valverde on the right flank, Eurosport reported.

The 26-year-old defender returned to the England setup for a World Cup qualifier against Spain in September, though he was initially overlooked in favor of Bayer Leverkusen central defender Jarell Quansah despite being the only specialist right-back in Thomas Tuchel’s squad due to injuries to Reece James, Ben White, Djed Spence, and Tino Livramento. While Alexander-Arnold started against the Czech Republic on September 29 and contributed an assist, his club prospects took a dramatic turn as Mourinho opted to redeploy midfielder Federico Valverde at right-back.

Valverde Claims the Right Flank Under Mourinho

Valverde’s impressive performance against Sevilla solidified his standing in the position. The Uruguay international won a team-high five duels and completed 90 percent of his passes during a 4-1 victory, prompting Mourinho to deploy him as the quintessential modern full-back who can drive forward from deep.

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“I had the feeling that behind Endrick, a left-footer who cuts inside as almost a second striker… I thought a right-back capable of making attacking runs, with the endurance to push forward and quality, would be a valuable asset,” Mourinho explained after the Sevilla match.

The tactical shift leaves Alexander-Arnold and Denzel Dumfries fighting for remaining minutes. Dumfries played four full matches during the international break, but Alexander-Arnold has struggled for regular league minutes since returning to Madrid, highlighted by a brief one-minute appearance as a late substitute against Barcelona in El Clásico to kill the clock after replacing Arda Güler.

Tactical Flexibility Limits English Defender’s Minutes

Mourinho’s preference for tactical adaptability has routinely pushed Valverde wide rather than introducing Alexander-Arnold from the bench. During a UEFA Champions League fixture against Roma on October 14, where Real Madrid trailed 3-1 until the 83rd minute, Mourinho elected to introduce Arda Güler in midfield and drop Valverde back into the defensive line rather than turning to his specialist full-backs.

Earlier in the campaign, Mourinho addressed the squad rotation challenge, stating, “It is impossible to imagine that one will play 60 matches and the other none. Or one 10 and the other 50. It is not possible.” Yet current distribution leaves Valverde anchoring the position, with Dumfries and Alexander-Arnold splitting intermittent opportunities.

Transfer Rumors Dismissed as Winter Window Approaches

Despite logging just four starts across all competitions this season and limited minutes since mid-September, Alexander-Arnold has shown no public frustration. Rumors linking the former Liverpool player with a winter return to the English Premier League have surfaced in the Spanish sports daily Marca, but the defender has no interest in a departure.

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