Xabi Alonso Outlines Plan for Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal at Real Madrid

Xabi Alonso says he intends to rotate Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal at right back, with the competition for places a “healthy thing” for his squad.

The Spaniard’s decision to drop Alexander-Arnold, a summer arrival from Liverpool, to the bench for the 3–0 win over Real Oviedo raised a number of eyebrows, completely putting to one side that Carvajal remains one of the best right backs in the world and is the heart and soul of the capital team.

Alexander-Arnold was restored for Real Madrid’s third and final La Liga clash before the international break—a 2-1 win over Mallorca that would have seen him bag his first assist for a tremendous defense-splitting pass had Kylian Mbappé not strayed into an offside position.

With a glut of domestic and European fixtures about to pile up for Real Madrid, Alonso was asked about his plans for the pair moving forward—and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the Spaniard alluded to the fact that neither player will be capable of playing every game moving forward.

“Fortunately, we have healthy competition within the squad. That's good for the team and the players,” Alonso remarked. “They have to be pushed to give their best. You know there is strong competition, you see teammates who are ready to play.

“So far, Trent and Carvajal have both had an impact in other positions as well, whether that be at centre-back or out wide. I think it's a really healthy thing for the day-to-day in the squad, so nobody feels disconnected. Whoever deserves it the most will play. That will be the case throughout the year.”

Alonso: Vinicius Jr, Mbappe, Rodrygo Can All Start

There’s also been debate over Real Madrid’s frontline and whether Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo—a player religiously linked with a move away from the Spanish capital—are capable of all starting in the same side.

Alonso’s reply, when asked about that very possibility, was very succinct.

“Yes, they can. They played a lot last year and they can do the same now, depending on the game and the other players available. It's not something I've ruled out, we've only played three games. Often we look to draw definitive conclusions from very short periods of time and I think we should take things a bit easier. We'll assess things in due course.”

He added of Mbappé’s leadership and overall standing in Madrid: “Kylian is in a great place, both in a footballing sense and personally. I think, following his first season at Madrid, he's hungry for another year.

“You see how he's relishing his role on a daily basis, and he's not the only one. That responsibility has to be shared if we want to forge that strong base in the dressing room, on which to build to where we want to get to. We've only played three games and we have to gradually lay the foundations for how we want to compete, how we want to work day to day, and to keep developing as a team.

“Kylian is a key part of that, he was decisive for France again and we need him.”