Alexander-Arnold set to be dropped after announcing Liverpool exit | OneFootball

Arne Slot has confirmed that Conor Bradley will start over Trent Alexander-Arnold against Arsenal after the England defender announced he would be leaving the club at the end of the season.

Alexander-Arnold’s long anticipated departure this summer was confirmed by the 26-year-old this week, who is set to join Real Madrid.

And Slot says the remaining games of the season will be important for Bradley to get game time, with a view to becoming first choice at right-back next season.

“Conor is going to start,” Slot said ahead of the game against Arsenal on Sunday.

“He needs playing time to get some games under his belt to be better prepared for next season.

“Conor is a very talented player. Unfortunately he hasn’t been fit throughout the whole season and to become a very good player, you have to be available every single week and that’s the first step he has to make for next season but we have a lot of confidence in Conor as a very good full-back for Liverpool.

“That’s what he’s shown already in the past two seasons.”

Slot also admits he was left feeling disappointed by Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave his boyhood club.

He said: “I think like everybody who likes Liverpool and is a fan of Liverpool, we are disappointed for him leaving because not only is a good human leaving, but a very good full-back is leaving us as well.

“But I also worked at clubs like AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord where every season a very good player or multiple very good players have left the club, so I am maybe a bit more used to it.

“But the experience I have – and this club as well – is that if a very good player is leaving, the next very good player will step up, and that is probably what is going to happen now.”