Jurgen Klopp delivers Trent Alexander-Arnold update amid injury fears

Jurgen Klopp has allayed any fears of a serious injury after Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced off in Liverpool's 3-1 win over Bournemouth.

Liverpool's star Scouser was seen limping down the tunnel following his substitution in the 76th minute, spending the remainder of the game in the treatment room.

While this was sure to give Reds fans a scare, Klopp has since come out and played down murmurs that the issue is anything more than a painful knock.

Speaking on Alexander-Arnold's injury, Klopp told reporters: “I hope so [that he’ll be okay]. He told me he had a kick which was pretty painful.

"But as far as a twist or fall, it was a kick. That’s why we changed then but I hope he will be fine.”

Alexander-Arnold is set for a key season at Liverpool as he looks to potentially redefine himself as a player, with talk of a permanent switch in role from defence to midfield.

The 24-year-old is also now part of the Reds' new-look leadership group, taking the role of vice-captain following the departure of James Milner back in June.

A long-term injury to Alexander-Arnold is thus the last thing both the player and wider team need, especially at this embryonic stage of the season.

And luckily, he looks to have escaped a major issue this time round.

One question does remain, however; if the Englishman was to spend a spell on the sidelines, who would fill in?

Who fills in for Trent Alexander-Arnold?

The first option would be the man who replaced Alexander-Arnold on Saturday afternoon: Liverpool's current longest-serving player, Joe Gomez.

Gomez has proven that he can do a job at right-back in past seasons, and given his versatility as both a central defender and a full-back, he could fit right in to Liverpool's new proposed 3-box-3 system.

However, the 26-year-old has endured his fair share of consistency problems in recent times, leading some fans to question his place in the squad.

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Therefore, would it be a good time to promote a youngster into the senior team? To that end, we turn to Conor Bradley.

Bradley earned rave reviews during his loan at Bolton Wanderers last term, winning all three of the club's player of the season awards after a fantastic campaign.

And after impressing in pre-season, an injury to Alexander-Arnold would present the perfect opportunity for Bradley to make the step up, cementing his place in Klopp's starting XI, while also allowing Liverpool's vice-captain to fully pursue his ambitions as a midfielder upon his return.

Right now, this is all hypothetical thinking. That said, Liverpool need to be prepared for all scenarios should one of their key stars face a spell on the treatment table.