After settling well and proving to be a key figure for Jurgen Klopp last season, there’s no doubt the Liverpool boss is missing the presence of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
The 25-year-old sustained a serious knee injury in the Champions League semi-final clash with Roma last season, which forced him to miss the end of the campaign and the World Cup after making 42 appearances for the Reds in all competitions.
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It’s since been suggested by The Telegraph that the England international could miss the entire season this year as he continues his rehabilitation, and so it takes away a key component of Klopp’s squad as the Reds look to compete on multiple fronts this season.
However, Oxlade-Chamberlain has provided a positive update on his recovery and has insisted that he’s making progressing, albeit there was no suggestion that he could be pushing his return date forward.
“It is a very serious injury,” he told Sky Sports, as per the club’s official site. “I’m trying to stay positive, that’s the sort of character I am. I feel that’s the best way to move things forward. I’m in good spirits and I’m progressing for sure.”
Given the seriousness of the injury, the Merseyside giants will not allow the midfield ace to rush back to action and so he’ll seemingly have a long and difficult recovery ahead of him still.
Nevertheless, the fact that he insists that he’s remaining in good spirits and is progressing will be music to the ears of all concerned, as the timing of the setback in particular would have been very difficult for him to deal with given his importance to club and country.
Time will tell if he can play a role in Liverpool’s hunt for trophies in the second half of the season, but given the extent of the problem, he’ll be prioritising making a full recovery in his own time and to make his comeback when he is deemed to be ready by the medical staff at Anfield.