With nearly the entire backline sidelined, the pressure is on the former Liverpool star to deliver and finally meet expectations at the Bernabéu.

The honeymoon period is decisively over for Trent Alexander-Arnold at Real Madrid.

The England international must now fully deliver on the immense expectations surrounding his transfer, as the Spanish giants face a crippling injury crisis that has left their defense decimated.

This moment of extreme uncertainty requires the full-back to instantly transform from a struggling newcomer into the defensive leader Xabi Alonso desperately needs.

In the Spanish capital, the narrative of a “crisis” is always just two bad results or too many injuries away.

Despite summer reinforcements aimed at preventing a repeat of last season’s injury woes, Alonso finds his backline completely hollowed out just four months into his tenure.

The Decimated Backline: Alexander-Arnold’s Unavoidable Call to Action

The casualty list has grown dramatically.

Long-term absentees Antonio Rüdiger and Dani Carvajal were recently joined on the sidelines by Dean Huijsen and Éder Militão, who picked up fitness problems on international duty.

Even emergency midfield defenders like Federico Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Eduardo Camavinga are nursing issues.

This leaves Alonso with Alexander-Arnold, Álvaro Carreras, and Raúl Asencio as the only fully fit defenders available.

With the backline decimated, the mounting pressure on Alexander-Arnold is now morphing into a suffocating, tangible weight.

The former Liverpool star is now expected not only to help revive Real Madrid’s stagnant attack but also to carry a significantly greater defensive burden.

Alexander-Arnold’s struggles have been noted at both ends of the pitch. His criticized subpar defensive efforts followed him from Merseyside to Madrid, where he was exposed in his La Liga debut.

Crucially, his famed attacking strengths—his brilliant set-piece delivery and dazzling service—have rarely been on display. He has just one assist and zero goals in 12 appearances for the club.

The Imperative to Deliver: Time is Running Out

The immediate task facing Alexander-Arnold is monumental: he must become the leader of Alonso’s defense and carry a young, inexperienced, makeshift backline.

Los Blancos are desperately crying out for the version of the right-back who helped lift Liverpool to Premier League and Champions League glory.

This urgency is magnified by the La Liga table, where Barcelona trail the 15-time European champions by only three points. One more slip-up could cost the club their top spot.

Alexander-Arnold previously admitted he moved to Madrid for a new challenge, one that could see him become a pillar in the club’s line of legends.

That dream can only come to fruition if he shows up now, week in and week out, when there is quite literally no other option left for Xabi Alonso.