Inside Trent Alexander-Arnold's Real Madrid struggles: How injury setbacks and Jose Mourinho's indifference have left fallen star at a career crossroads

Alexander-Arnold has struggled to settle at Real Madrid, hampered by injuries and a lack of backing from manager Jose Mourinho despite occasional flashes of quality.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's move to Real Madrid has not gone to plan. The right-back has faced injury setbacks since his arrival and has failed to establish himself as a key player under manager Jose Mourinho, who has shown little faith in the former Liverpool defender. While Kylian Mbappe and others have praised Alexander-Arnold's abilities, showing glimpses of the brilliance that made him one of Europe's top defenders, the lack of consistent opportunities and managerial support has left him at a crossroads in his career. The contrast is stark: while debate rages in England about his potential and what went wrong, at Madrid the conversation barely exists.