In the middle again - but Mourinho says Alexander-Arnold 'not a midfielder'

It's the question that just doesn't seem to go away - can Trent Alexander-Arnold really work in midfield?

Gareth Southgate played him there for England during Euro 2024 before ending the experiment after only two group games.

Jurgen Klopp's entire Liverpool gameplan relied on his ability to step into the middle and spray passes around... albeit from a starting position of right-back.

And now Jose Mourinho has become the latest manager to dabble, picking the 27-year-old in midfield for Real Madrid's Champions League win over Inter Milan on Tuesday.

Having struggled to establish himself as Real's first-choice full-back since moving to the Bernabeu last summer, could this be the moment he finally clicks in the middle of the park?

"He has played midfield with England and Liverpool... but he is not a midfielder," insisted Mourinho after his side's edgy 2-1 win.

"He has played very well. He has interpreted what he needed to really well, tactically.

So while Mourinho was "very grateful" for Alexander-Arnold's efforts in the middle, don't expect to see him play there on a regular basis.