Jude Bellingham was reserved when questioned on the future of his "good mate" Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.
Alexander-Arnold’s contract at Liverpool runs out at the end of the season, leaving lingering doubts over the future of the right-back.
He has been linked with a switch to Real Madrid, where Bellingham has thrived since he joined from Borussia Dortmund in 2023.
Alexander-Arnold and Bellingham will meet at Anfield on Wednesday as Madrid face Liverpool in a heavyweight Champions League clash.
While Bellingham would not be drawn on speculation, he does hope to be playing alongside Alexander-Arnold next season, one way or the other.
"I'll be playing alongside him next season for England anyway, so hopefully, that'll be a guarantee," Bellingham said at a press conference.
"He's a Liverpool player, and I think it's disrespectful to come to his home today and speak about something that could be misconstrued, so I think it's important to take that pressure off him.
"He's a really good mate of mine, and I want him to do well normally, obviously not tomorrow night. We'll see what happens, but as I said, he's a Liverpool player."
Alexander-Arnold has played the second-most key passes in Liverpool's squad (20) in the Premier League this season.
In the Champions League this term, he has attempted the fourth most crosses for Liverpool (six) in the competition this season and contributed one assist.
Half of Liverpool's goals in the Champions League this season have been scored following crosses (5/10), with their five such goals being the most of any side.
Alexander-Arnold missed Liverpool's 3-2 win over Southampton on Sunday, as the Reds went eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.
The 26-year-old could return to the fold against Madrid but Arne Slot is keen not to rush his return.
"Trent is in the squad but he will not be available to start," Slot said.
"He can maybe make a few minutes, in an ideal world he maybe doesn't, but if it's really necessary he can make a few minutes tomorrow," he said.
Sheffield United return to Championship summit as Norwich thump Plymouth
Sheffield United went back to the top of the Championship following a 3-0 victory over Oxford United at home on Tuesday.
The result was a fifth victory in six matches for Chris Wilder's side, whose only dropped points in that sequence came in a 2-2 draw away to Coventry City last Saturday.
Callum O'Hare got things going for the Blades by scoring his first goal for the club on 10 minutes, before Tyrese Campbell doubled their lead with his fifth strike in six matches.
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi added the third in the second half, and they have now won seven in a row at Bramall Lane without conceding. They lead second-placed Burnley by two points, while Oxford are 18th and two points above the relegation zone after picking up one win in 12.
Elsewhere, Norwich City got their play-off charge back on track with a 6-1 victory at home to Plymouth Argyle.
Borja Sainz helped them on their way with a hat-trick, taking his tally to 15 goals in 19 appearances in all competitions this season.
While the score was 2-1 at half-time, a second-half capitulation leaves Wayne Rooney's side just two places and two points above the relegation zone with teams below them to play on Wednesday.
Burnley got themselves back in second with a 2-0 victory over Coventry at Turf Moor.
Jeremy Sarmiento and CJ Egan-Riley both scored in the second half to give Scott Parker's side three points, while Coventry are 17th and two points off the relegation zone.
As a result of Burnley's result, Sunderland slipped to third in the table after missing the chance to maintain their lead at the top of the table.
Regis Le Bris' side were held to a goalless draw at home to West Brom in a game that had just two shots on target. As a result, the Baggies remain seventh in the table, level on points with sixth-placed Middlesbrough having played a game more.
Young Boys 1-6 Atalanta: De Ketelaere steals the show
Charles De Ketelaere was the driving force for Atalanta in their commanding 6-1 win over Young Boys in the Champions League.
De Ketelaere scored twice and provided three assists as Atalanta – last season's Europa League champions – moved into fourth place in the standings, two points behind leaders Inter.
Star of the show De Ketelaere teed up Mateo Retegui for a ninth-minute opener, though Silvere Ganvoula quickly responded for Young Boys.
It was the first goal conceded by the visitors in the competition this season, but the rest of the half was controlled by Atalanta.
De Ketelaere scored his first in the 28th minute when a corner was flicked to him, and he managed to squeeze in a low shot on the turn.
The Belgium international then set up Sead Kolasinac with a throughball from midfield, and the former Arsenal defender calmly slotted home.
De Ketelaere capped off a dominant first half with his third assist, setting up Retegui once more.
Atalanta's fifth, and De Ketelaere's second, arrived 11 minutes after the restart as he drilled in a low shot from the edge of the box, with some help from a deflection, and Lazar Samardzic made it six in stoppage time.
Data Debrief: King Charles
De Ketelaere became the eighth player to be directly involved in five goals in a single Champions League match.
He is the first Belgian to do so and the first for an Italian side.
De Ketelaere is just the third player to assist three goals in the first half of a Champions League game, after Ryan Giggs for Manchester United against Roma in April 2007 and Carlos Martins for Benfica against Lyon in November 2010.
This was, unsurprisingly, Atalanta's biggest margin of victory in a major European match, while the 6-1 defeat was Young Boys’ joint-biggest home defeat in such competitions, along with their 5-0 loss to Hamburger SV in November 1960.
'We wanted to make a statement' – Arteta revels in thumping win over Sporting
Mikel Arteta revelled in a statement win in the Champions League after Arsenal's 5-1 defeat of Sporting CP.
Sporting, who are under new leadership following Ruben Amorim's departure to Manchester United, were in second place in the standings heading into matchday five, following their 4-1 demolition of Manchester City earlier in November.
Yet the Portuguese team were no match for City's Premier League rivals Arsenal on Tuesday, as the Gunners blew Sporting away in Lisbon.
Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhaes put Arsenal 3-0 up by half-time, and though Goncalo Inacio pulled one back for the hosts, Bukayo Saka's penalty and a late finish from Leandro Trossard completed the rout for Arteta's side.
"I'm very happy, it is a big result against a big opponent," Arteta said, having seen Arsenal accumulate 3.89 expected goals, their most on record for a match in the competition (since 2013-14).
"We wanted to make a statement. I felt a really good energy before the match, but you have to put it into practice.
"The first half was exceptional and gave us the platform to win the game. We were really clever and efficient in the way we attacked them. It is an important win for us.
"The atmosphere was changing [when Sporting scored], they had belief, but after that we showed our personality to get on the ball again, to defend deeper if we needed to and the fourth goal changed it again.
"We have to enjoy it, playing in this competition against these sorts of teams. I was pleased with how the performance flowed."
Arsenal had been in a mini-slump of three games without a win before a 3-0 victory over high-flying Nottingham Forest in the Premier League this past weekend.
Backing up that victory with another dominant display is something they will have to do all season long if they are to be successful, according to Arteta.
"We need the consistency, if you want to be going for championships then you have to win and win again. Today was a different type of game but we handled it well and let's move on now," he said.
Arsenal are next in action on Saturday when they travel to West Ham in the Premier League.
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