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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is on course to resume first-team training with the Reds next week.
What’s the latest?
Klopp told Liverpool’s official website:
“I spoke to him a second ago; Ox is positive, we are all positive. It was a little setback, it was not more, but it was a setback. That’s how it is.
“You don’t want to be overly sensitive after a period like this because they train a lot – training is always like this, it’s like stress for the body. You feel something, but you don’t want to mention everything because it [can be] DOMS [delayed onset muscle soreness].
“It was the case with him, it was a little bit more than DOMS, but not really [serious]. We are careful of course, he is working, he is doing a lot and I think will be in training in a week again. Then he will be fine.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain has not played for Liverpool’s first team since suffering a severe knee injury against Roma in the Champions League last April.
The midfielder made his return for the club’s Under-23 side against Derby County Under-23s earlier this month, but only lasted 40 minutes after feeling his hamstring.
The 25-year-old has not been in first-team training since, but Klopp has insisted that everyone is ‘positive’ when it comes to the former Southampton youngster.
What does it all mean?
Well, Liverpool need to be very, very careful with the central midfielder.
There is absolutely no question that Oxlade-Chamberlain’s knee will be in a good place following months and months of rehab work, but other muscles will have naturally suffered.
It is not too much of a surprise that he incurred a muscular problem on his first competitive outing, but the former Arsenal ace needs to be properly managed in the coming weeks.
Liverpool, and indeed their fans, will be desperate for Oxlade-Chamberlain to play a role between now and the end of the campaign.
However, his long-term welfare must be put first and it will be very interesting to see when Klopp decides to reintroduce the Englishman into the first team.