Jose Mourinho has reignited one of English football's most persistent debates by selecting Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield during Real Madrid's 2-1 UEFA Champions League victory over Inter Milan on Tuesday — yet the Portuguese manager was quick to draw a line under any suggestion that this represents a permanent positional switch.

"He has played midfield with England and Liverpool... but he is not a midfielder," Mourinho said after the match. "He has played very well. He has interpreted what he needed to really well, tactically. Both him and Valverde have worked very well at this level."

A role born of necessity

Alexander-Arnold's central berth was largely a product of circumstance. Suspensions for Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler, and Bernardo Silva left Mourinho with little choice, and the 27-year-old lined up alongside Federico Valverde in what proved to be an uneven night's work.

He created two chances and attempted more crosses than any other Real Madrid player, but he failed to win a single tackle and his passing accuracy dropped to 83.3 percent. He was withdrawn shortly after Inter reduced the deficit in the 77th minute, to whistles inside the stadium — although it remains unclear whether that frustration was directed at Alexander-Arnold or at Real Madrid's unconvincing display as a whole.

Mourinho values his versatility

Despite the imperfect performance, BBC Sport understands Mourinho has been impressed by Alexander-Arnold's attitude, values, and the flexibility he offers the squad. The manager sees him as distinct from conventional full-backs, specifically because of his capacity to drift into central zones and contribute to attacks from deeper positions.

"He has lost some balls because it is not the same to play in this position compared to at right-back," Mourinho acknowledged. "The intensity of physical work is quite difficult. He has a different engine. He has given 100%. He left the pitch with nothing left to give."

Alexander-Arnold also faces competition for the right-back position itself. Just as he had to battle Dani Carvajal for that role last season, he is now competing with Denzel Dumfries, who started Tuesday's match alongside him — their first competitive appearance together.

A familiar question with a long history

The debate over where Alexander-Arnold is best deployed is far from new. Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side was built in part around his ability to drift into midfield from right-back, and Gareth Southgate handed him the England number 10 shirt for a qualifier in Malta in June 2023 — a game England won 4-0 in which Alexander-Arnold scored from a central position.

"It feels natural, I will say that. It's somewhere I can see myself playing," he said at the time.

Southgate persisted with the experiment through to Euro 2024, but abandoned it after an uninspiring 1-1 draw with Denmark in which Alexander-Arnold was substituted before the hour mark. Mourinho, for now, appears to share the same ultimate conclusion: the position is workable on occasion, but Alexander-Arnold remains, at heart, a right-back with exceptional creative gifts.