Liverpool’s utilisation of a 3-5-2 formation in the first half of their 2-1 win against Stoke City meant that James Milner played in his natural position of central midfield.

This resulted in Nathaniel Clyne being utilised as a left wing-back, whilst Trent Alexander-Arnold took up Clyne’s natural position on the right hand flank. When Alexander-Arnold was substituted, Liverpool reverted to Clyne on the right and Milner on the left as the formation shifted to a 3-4-3.

Although Alexander-Arnold’s promotion is a massive vote of confidence in the young full-back from Jürgen Klopp, it is also a damning indictment of Alberto Moreno’s status at the club.

Moreno has started just once since the opening day of the season, when first choice left-back Milner missed Liverpool’s 4-2 win over Crystal Palace. Although Moreno has occasionally been utilised from the bench, he’s only played more than half an hour on one occasion as a sub, in Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland.

Moreno’s issue is that he does not appear to be trusted by Klopp as a left-back. That was an issue for Brendan Rodgers when he managed the club, as one of the reasons he often utilised a 3-4-3 system was to use Moreno as a wing-back rather than a full-back.

Indeed, Moreno is probably best used in that position, which is what makes his omission against Stoke all the more glaring. Klopp had a ready-made left wing-back on his bench, but chose to start 18 year-old Alexander-Arnold in his stead, pushing Clyne out to the left, where Clyne clearly wasn’t comfortable.

Moreno might be moved on this summer as Klopp eye a fresh recruitment drive

Liverpool have been in dire need of a left-back for years, and with Milner the first choice in that position this season, it’s always been clear that they would try to sign one in the summer.

But Klopp’s decision not to include Moreno in his team in favour of Alexander-Arnold simply emphasises exactly where Moreno lies. He is not even the next in the pecking order behind Milner.

Klopp would rather play Clyne out of position than put Moreno into the team. It’s clear that Alexander-Arnold is seen to have a big future at the club, which also implies that Moreno has none at all.

Whilst it may seem trivial that Klopp preferred a young player to one that he clearly has no faith in, the difference between Moreno being Klopp’s second choice left back and third may be bigger than it appears.

Assuming that Liverpool sign a full-back in the summer of some capacity, the question remained whether Moreno would be moved on, or whether Klopp would retain him to cover that position, with injuries and depth an issue.

However, Klopp’s decision to use Clyne as a left-wing back indicates that he has no need for Moreno, and has no intention in keeping him to use as back-up in a position where he already has Milner and Clyne to cover whoever he brings in in the summer.

There are many lessons for Liverpool fans to pick out of their victory over Stoke, and one of them is that Alberto Moreno has absolutely no future at the club, and may well have played his last minutes for Liverpool, with only six Premier League games to go in the current season.