Liverpool manager Arne Slot revealed Trent Alexander-Arnold will miss the Merseyside derby against Everton on Wednesday.
However, the Dutchman insisted the defender remains committed to the Reds despite reports of an agreed free transfer to Real Madrid upon the expiration of his contract at Anfield.
“His situation is unfortunately that he is injured, otherwise people would have probably spoken about him that he had one or two brilliant performances for the England team.
“But he’s injured and for him that means he is fully focused on his recovery and for us that means we are trying to help him to be back as soon as he can.
“For the rest, of course, for eight months it went a bit up and down maybe, with all kinds of talks about him, Virgil (van Dijk] or Mo [Salah]. But we have never been focused on those talks, we have always been focused on what we have to do.
“For Virgil and Mo that is trying to win the Merseyside derby, and for Trent that is making sure he is can get fit as soon as he can.”
Pressed to respond for an update on all three players and their status on contract talks, Slot declined to reveal much.
“It’s a situation that is there for eight months now and all these three players have performed so well under these circumstances so it doesn’t affect me at all.
“I think there was a bit of noise about us losing against Paris St-Germain and us losing against Newcastle as well. I always try to be rational. I was a bit more frustrated about the final, because I think we deserved to lose that one. For the first time we deserved to lose a football game.”
