Trent Alexander-Arnold once again had to watch on from the bench as Real Madrid beat Valencia, and the former Liverpool star looks to be facing an impossible task to get back into the team

Trent Alexander-Arnold won’t be thanking the Spanish media after being left on the bench once again for Real Madrid, with the former Liverpool star seemingly facing an impossible task to get back in the team.

Just a day after earning another call-up to the England squad, Alexander-Arnold’s frustrating time in Spain continued as he could only watch Real’s 3-0 win at Valencia on Saturday. In fact, it wasn’t a good night to have a Liverpool connection, with Harvey Elliott also left on the bench for the hosts.

In their absence, the game provided little in the way of surprises, with Real going level with Barcelona at the top of La Liga, while Valencia remains in danger as it sits second-from-bottom.

A week on from seemingly being handed a lifeline by Jose Mourinho, it looks like Alexander-Arnold is still a long way away from featuring in the Portuguese’s plans.

Although Denzel Dumfries isn’t seeing much action either at the moment, Fede Valverde doesn’t look like he’ll be vacating the right-back slot any time soon. Having scored against AEK Athens in midweek, the Uruguayan was on target again as he opened the scoring against Valencia with a well-taken strike.

And the Spanish media has been full of praise for his performance, which won’t make great reading for Alexander-Arnold. In fact, Marca’s verdict on Valverde almost feels like it is pouring salt into the former Liverpool vice-captain’s wounds.

Giving Valverde a nine in its player ratings, the Spanish outlet commented: “He gives the team a lot of width, work rate, and playmaking ability in the middle. The Uruguayan has it all in this position... and, I dare say, he's the best right-back in the world. Or at least the most complete of them all.”

That verdict would be repeated in its report on the game: “Another goal from Fede. Against AEK he sealed the comeback in stoppage time, and at Mestalla he opened the scoring. Both goals were trademark strikes.

“Mourinho has brought out the best in Fede Valverde, and he's done it by playing him in the position he didn't want to play, but where he performs best: right-back. He'll end up being the best right-back in the world.”

Marca wasn’t the only one to lavish Valverde with praise. AS also got in on the act, and while it didn’t quite go as far as its fellow outlet, it still makes for uncomfortable reading for Alexander-Arnold.

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“And speaking of ‘always,’ Valverde scores from the edge of the box. That's how the deadlock was broken, as it has so many times before,” it wrote.

“He pounced on a rebound and fired it across goal, straight into the net. He did it in Athens, and also at Mestalla. And for the rest of his match, he was tireless. Without neglecting his own half, he practically lived in the opposition's (more than 60% of his passes were in the opposition's half).

“Only Messi (34) and Aspas (20) have scored more league goals from outside the box than his 16 since the Uruguayan's debut in 2017, according to MisterChip. Back then he was a little bird, now he's a hawk unleashed.”

That will not come as any encouragement to Alexander-Arnold, who will no doubt have thought he was arriving in Madrid last year to become the club’s long-term option at right-back. By the looks of it, his best-case scenario now is that he’s back-up to Valverde - worst-case being that he’s now third-choice.