Liverpool suffer blow ahead of Carabao Cup second-leg against Spurs – with Reds star a major doubt for tie after suffering an injury in Bournemouth win

Liverpool are sweating on the fitness of vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold after the right back asked to be substituted in their win at Bournemouth on Saturday.

The Reds extended their gap at the top of the table to nine points after Mohamed Salah scored in both halves in what many have described as a statement win for Arne Slot’s side, given the Cherries’ recent form.

But the only downside from the day was Alexander-Arnold leaving the pitch with what looked like a thigh injury in the second half.

Slot said: ’The situation was that Trent said to me, “you have to take me off” and then he sat on the floor. He felt something.

‘I can’t tell you exactly what or how bad it is because it’s only an hour after the game. But it’s never a good sign when a player is asking for a substitution. I would be surprised if he plays on Thursday. Let us hope he is back with us as soon as possible.’

Slot was referring to the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Tottenham this week, in which Liverpool are 1-0 down after last month’s first clash in north London.

The 26-year-old was replaced by Conor Bradley in the second half of the 2-0 win on Sunday

Alexander-Arnold will undergo scans in the next 24 hours to determine the extent of the injury.

It came on a day that Liverpool left Federico Chiesa and Joe Gomez out of their matchday squad despite the pair being fit, underlining the fact the Premier League leaders had a clean bill of health going into the weekend.

Liverpool’s win at the Vitality Stadium was not without controversy, however. 

Referee Darren England pointed to the spot after ruling that Lewis Cook had fouled Cody Gakpo, with Salah netting from twelve yards to give his side the lead.

Asked for his view on the backlash surrounding the decision, Slot insisted a penalty had to be given if contact was made. 

‘Controversy from who?’ The Liverpool boss asked. ‘Online, there is always controversy! Especially from fans that are not in favour of Liverpool. 

‘Only thing I can say – and I haven’t seen it back – is that one of my players is on a clear one-v-one with the goalkeeper, and he is falling down. So either he makes a dive or they touch him. And if they touch him it is a penalty for me. 

‘This was such a clear one-on-one chance that, yeah, if he touched him – which I assume he did, otherwise VAR would have intervened.

Slot also weighed in on the controversial decision to award a penalty after Darren England ruled Cody Gakpo had been brought down in the box

Mohamed Salah netted the ensuing spot-kick to give Liverpool the lead at the Vitality

‘I can come up with three, four or five examples when we didn’t get the luck we deserved or we didn’t get the decision we deserved. 

‘But that is always the difficult thing in football, if there is one in your favour people will always say it is the luck for Liverpool or the one who is No.1 at the moment. 

‘For me, it has nothing to do with luck, it is a clear one-v-one, and I can tell you if Cody Gakpo goes one-on-one with the goalkeeper, it is quite a big chance as well. 

‘If you are then tripped, it is a penalty and it is not that it is a penalty from a little push at a set-piece and it wasn’t even a chance.’