Trent Alexander-Arnold Ready to Start Against West Ham

Having spent his summer with England at the World Cup but for most part being restricted to watching his more senior teammates in action, 19-year-old right back Trent Alexander-Arnold returned to Liverpool early from his summer break.

His goal was to be ready to face West Ham in the club’s Premier League opener, and despite having been back in training for just about ten days now, the local youngster says he’s met that goal and is fit and ready to start the match if called upon.

“I feel I’ve had enough minutes,” he told the club’s official website following Tuesday’s final pre-season match. “I didn’t have too much of a rest so I never lost too much fitness. So to come back, be straight in and get the 60 minutes, it’s good.”

It’s not certain he’ll need to start, as Nathaniel Clyne is fit again and has spent the entire pre-season working to get himself back up to full speed, but the more veteran player has at times appeared to be rusty after spending a year on the sidelines.

Alexander-Arnold, on the other hand, has looked sharp despite seeing just about 90 minutes of action since he returned. It could pose something of a dilemma for manager Jürgen Klopp—though we won’t have long to wait to find out the answer.

“If the manager thinks I’m ready and wants me to play, I think possibly I’ll be ready to play,” he added. “It’s always good to be back. It’s good to see the fans again and put up a performance, and hopefully we will get the win again on Sunday.”