[ad_pod ]Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has insisted that his club will be cautiousÂwhen it comes to re-introducing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain following a long spell on the sidelines, as quoted by the Reds’ official website.
What’s the latest?
A recent video clip emerged of Oxlade-Chamberlain undergoing ball work during the club’s four-day training camp in Dubai.
It led to suggestions that the 25-year-old would soon be available following an extended period on the sidelines.
Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…
However, Klopp has called for calm when it comes to the 32-time England international’s potential return to action.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has been out since suffering a severe knee injury during Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final with Roma in April.
Klopp has said that the midfielder ‘is no longer injured’, but insisted that he will only be called back to first team action when he is completely ready for it.
When could Oxlade-Chamberlain return?
According toÂThe Liverpool Echo, Oxlade-Chamberlain will be back in full training with Livepool by the end of next month.
It is extremely difficult to put a timescale on a potential return to the field, but Klopp has said he ‘can’t wait’ until Oxlade-Chamberlain is involved again, and that the midfielder’s absence ‘pretty much will be a year’.
That suggests the club could be looking at late March or April as the period in which they’ll look to reintroduce the 25-year-old.
Speaking about Oxlade-Chamberlain’s return from injury, Klopp added: “He had hard times in the year – and in the end it pretty much will be a year – but he dealt with it in an impressive way, to be honest.
“Still, everyone knew he had a hard time, but since five or six weeks [ago] you can see he sees the end, the light at the end of the tunnel, and that gave him a massive boost, gives us a massive boost, so now it is really close.”
“I don’t think we talk about patience so much now, he needs fitness. He is not injured anymore, that’s what I would say, but he is not match-fit and that’s a massive difference.”
