Liverpool Defender Alexander-Arnold to Return 'Soon'

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Aston Villa - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 9, 2024 Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold receives medical attention after sustaining an injury REUTERS/Molly Darlington
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Aston Villa - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 9, 2024 Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold receives medical attention after sustaining an injury REUTERS/Molly Darlington
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Liverpool Defender Alexander-Arnold to Return 'Soon'

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Aston Villa - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 9, 2024 Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold receives medical attention after sustaining an injury REUTERS/Molly Darlington
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Aston Villa - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - November 9, 2024 Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold receives medical attention after sustaining an injury REUTERS/Molly Darlington

Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold hasn't returned to team training yet after of a hamstring injury and could miss next week's Champions League game against Real Madrid, manager Arne Slot said Friday.
The England international was ruled out for Sunday's Premier League match at last-place Southampton. He was substituted off in the 25th minute of Liverpool's 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Nov. 9.
Liverpool, which sits atop the standings in both competitions, expects to be without goalkeeper Alisson Becker and forward Diogo Jota at least through the Madrid game Wednesday at Anfield.
At a news conference, Slot was asked about the trio's availability for both midweek and next Sunday's showdown with title rival Manchester City, The Associated Press reported.
“The last few days of recovery are always the ones that are the most tricky because then they have to go from isolated training sessions to where it's a group training session, and that is always the most difficult one,” Slot said. “It's difficult to judge now and to tell you now it's going to be one, two, three days or a bit longer. The only thing I can say is that with Alisson and with Jota, I don't expect them to be available for that game. With Trent, it's going to be in between.”
Alexander-Arnold will be training with the full team “soon,” the manager said.
Alisson has a hamstring injury. Liverpool hasn't specified Jota's problem but the Portugal forward hasn't played since Oct. 20 when he left in the 30th minute of a 2-1 win over Chelsea. That was after a collision with a Chelsea defender.
Slot confirmed that Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is “completely OK.” The center back returned from international duty with the Netherlands after playing in a 4-0 win over Hungary that clinched a Nations League quarterfinals spot. The Dutch played Bosnia and Herzegovina a few days later.



Guardiola Signs 2-year Contract Extension at Man City, Eyes 'More Trophies'

(FILES) Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the UEFA Champions League, league phase football match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Etihad stadium, in Manchester, north-west England, on September 18, 2024. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
(FILES) Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the UEFA Champions League, league phase football match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Etihad stadium, in Manchester, north-west England, on September 18, 2024. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
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Guardiola Signs 2-year Contract Extension at Man City, Eyes 'More Trophies'

(FILES) Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the UEFA Champions League, league phase football match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Etihad stadium, in Manchester, north-west England, on September 18, 2024. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)
(FILES) Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola gestures on the touchline during the UEFA Champions League, league phase football match between Manchester City and Inter Milan at the Etihad stadium, in Manchester, north-west England, on September 18, 2024. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)

Pep Guardiola committed himself to Manchester City for another two years on Thursday and quickly set his sights on adding to his record-breaking reign.
Guardiola ended uncertainty about his future by signing a contract extension that would prolong his tenure as City manager to 11 seasons.
“I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for," said the 53-year-old Catalan coach, whose current deal was due to expire at the end of this season. "Hopefully now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”
Guardiola has overseen a period of unprecedented dominance since joining City in 2016. He has gone on to win six Premier League titles in seven years at the Etihad Stadium and also won the Champions League. In total, he has won 15 major trophies at the club.
He has set new benchmarks, with City becoming the first team to win four-straight English league titles and the first to amass 100 points in a single season in 2018. He also led City to the treble in 2023, winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in one season — matching Manchester United's achievement in 1999.
“Manchester City means so much to me. This is my ninth season here. We have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club,” Guardiola added in his statement. “That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.”
Publicly, Guardiola gave no indication about whether he would stay on even as he entered the final months of his contract, The Associated Press reported. That led to speculation about potential successors, but City remained hopeful he could be convinced to sign another extension.
He has already managed City for longer than any his former clubs, having spent four years at Barcelona and three at Bayern Munich.
City Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said he was “delighted” that Guardiola is staying.
“His hunger for improvement and success remains insatiable and the direct beneficiaries of that will continue to be our players and coaching staff, the culture of our club, and the English game at large,” he said.
“This renewal will take Pep beyond a decade of coaching Manchester City and the opportunity to continue to re-write the managerial record books.”
Guardiola's new deal comes at a time when City's Premier League dominance appears to be under threat. The four-time defending champion has lost four games in succession in all competitions — the worst losing streak of Guardiola's managerial career.
Guardiola is widely considered one of the greatest managers of all time, having been a serial winner at Barcelona, Bayern and City. He has won 33 major titles with those clubs, including three Champions League trophies.