Zinedine Zidane has told Real Madrid what Trent Alexander-Arnold's biggest weakness is and how Xabi Alonso can fix it

Former Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane has already hinted at Trent Alexander-Arnold’s biggest weakness, but there’s a solution for Xabi Alonso.

Alexander-Arnold, 26, is now two matches into his time at Real Madrid, having made his full debut for the club in their 3-1 win against Pachuca at the Club World Cup on Sunday.

So far, the former Liverpool right-back has performed well without having a huge amount to do in his games against Al Hilal and Pachuca.

Spanish outlet MARCA even praised his performance, they wrote: “Trent Alexander-Arnold impressed amid sweltering heat. Trent had contributed significantly by displaying his trademark ability to drift centrally from full-back; he delivered a sharp ball across to Garcia, showing what Alonso should expect when he's up to speed in the system.

"The Englishman, criticised for a nervy debut against Al-Hilal, responded with composure, positional intelligence, and sharp ball distribution. When he was substituted in the 78th minute, the crowd acknowledged his performance with applause."

Trent Alexander-Arnold in action for Real Madrid (Credit:Getty)

However, tougher tests will likely come notably when the Liverpudlian faces the likes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in La Liga.

And back in 2021, Zidane, who was Los Blancos’ head coach at the time, identified the England international’s biggest weakness.

After Real Madrid’s 3-1 Champions League quarter-final first leg victory against Liverpool in April 2021, Zidane explained how he targeted the Reds’ attacking full-backs Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson.

“Liverpool’s fullbacks go forward a lot, so it worked out well for us and for Vini,” Zidane said at a press conference.

“There was an order to look for long balls behind them when we recovered the ball.”

Of course, many fans and pundits have questioned Alexander-Arnold’s defensive capabilities throughout his career, even though his technical ability is undeniable.

In May, England manager Thomas Tuchel even questioned his “defensive discipline”.

Tuchel said: "I can see that sometimes he relies heavily on his offensive contributions, and gives not so much emphasis on the defensive discipline and effort.

"This major impact that he had for Liverpool over so many years, if he wants to have this impact in the English national team, then he has to take the defensive part very seriously.

"Because when we are talking, especially, about qualifying football and then tournament football, the one defensive error, the one moment where you are not 100 per cent awake, can be decisive, can be the moment where you pack your suitcases and go home.”

Xabi Alonso may have a dilemma (Credit:Getty)

So, how could Alonso protect Trent from being exposed?

Well, so far Alonso has employed a 4-3-3 formation at Real, which is different from what his 3-4-2-1 formation was during his tenure at Bayer Leverkusen.

Against the better sides, he may be tempted to play Alexander-Arnold as a right wing back with Dani Carvajal at right centre-back.

Another option would be instructing usual midfielder Fede Valverde to help cover Alexander-Arnold when he ventures forward, as the Uruguayan has previously filled in at right-back.

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