Van Dijk: I won’t communicate with Alexander-Arnold before the game. We don’t have much contact but there are no personal issues.

At 4 o'clock in the morning on November 5th, in the fourth round of the UEFA Champions League, Liverpool faced Real Madrid at home. Before the game, the Reds captain talked about his former teammate Alexander-Arnold, who left the team and moved to Real Madrid this summer. Van Dijk made it clear there would be no communication with Alexander-Arnold before the game and there hasn't been much contact since his departure.

■Will he communicate with his former friend before the game?

Van Dijk briefly replied: "No."

■Have they still kept in touch since Arnold left the team?

Van Dijk said: "There is not much contact, no personal issues. Obviously, I have my life and he has his life in Madrid. Alexander-Arnold is a very talented player and he has proven it many times. He has been very important in our team over the years. Yes, I was happy to play with him. We had a lot of success together, but now he is our opponent. If he plays on Tuesday, we have to make it difficult for him to show his characteristics."

■What kind of reception do you expect Alexander-Arnold to get at Anfield?

Van Dijk asked reporters: "Do you want a hostile atmosphere on Wednesday night? I won't say that. Do you want it to be hostile? I won't comment on that. I can only say that he performed very well during his time at Liverpool, and that's the only thing I want to say."

When Arnold announced his departure to join Real Madrid this summer, many Liverpool fans felt hurt and booed him immediately after he announced his decision. However, by the time he played his last few games, the animosity had softened slightly.

The 27-year-old Arnold has not appeared since suffering a hamstring injury on September 16. It is expected that he will not play for Real Madrid when he returns to Anfield this time, but he will appear on the bench. Nonetheless, even if Alexander-Arnold is able to play this time, he is unlikely to receive a warm welcome at Anfield. Real Madrid has used Valverde as a right back in recent games, including last week's 4-0 victory over Valencia and the previous 2-1 defeat of Barcelona in the El Clasico.

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