Liverpool are finally back in action on Sunday after what has felt like a very long week at the club.
Out of European competition back in March, the Reds have slowly been playing out their final matches of the Premier League campaign as champions.
While the feel-good factor around Anfield has been tangible, the bubble was burst ever so slightly on Sunday after defeat against Chelsea.
On Monday, the mood darkened further when Trent Alexander-Arnold announced that he would be leaving Liverpool once the season ends. Real Madrid is expected to be his destination.
In the days since, full focus has been on Alexander-Arnold and his life-changing decision. While pundits such as Michael Owen have come out in defence of Alexander-Arnold, most Liverpool fans do not feel the same.
For Arne Slot, he must now make the decision of whether to use his main right-back for the remaining three games of the season. And after footage emerged from Friday’s training session, he may have just been given the perfect reason to remove Alexander-Arnold from the matchday squads
Joe Gomez returns to training
Interestingly, Slot confirmed on Friday that his plan had been to play Conor Bradley against Chelsea on Sunday. However, the 21-year-old was injured again meaning Alexander-Arnold took his place at right-back.
The Liverpool head coach then went further, suggesting Bradley will play the remaining fixtures in order to be better prepared for next season.
However, given that he has been injury prone of late, it’s probable that Slot will want to protect Bradley by substituting him during second-halves of matches.
This could open the door for Alexander-Arnold to come on, and could invite a seriously strong reaction from the Anfield crowd.
But after Joe Gomez was spotted in training on Friday, Slot now has another option he can use instead of the No. 66.
Gomez has only played once since the end of December, but the fact that he’s back in full team training would suggest he may be ready to play some part against Arsenal.
In the likely event that Bradley is taken off early, the 27-year-old could ably step in to get much-needed minutes on the board for himself and remove the Alexander-Arnold factor completely.
Trent Alexander-Arnold should not be in Liverpool squads
With Bradley and Gomez locking down the right of Liverpool’s defence, there is no need for Slot to include Alexander-Arnold in any of the three remaining matchday squads.
To some outside the club, that may seem petty and unnecessary. But Slot has no obligation to give Alexander-Arnold the send-off he thinks he deserves.
As Liverpool boss, his main remit is to do what is best for the team. While Alexander-Arnold is still the best right-back available to him, he will play no part in the future. It benefits the team to see what comes next.
Clearly, if Liverpool needed wins to get the title over the line, it would still be smart to play the Scouser. But with nothing but pride riding on the games, the focus should be on how best to plan for next season.
With Bradley expected to step up in 2025/26, the Northern Irishman should get priority. And as Slot examines his other options for next year, Gomez’s return can give him vital information about the state of the post-Alexander-Arnold world.