Liverpool news : Oxlade-Chamberlain provides fitness update as he closes on Liverpool comeback

Liverpool news :  Oxlade-Chamberlain provides fitness update as he closes on Liverpool comeback

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is on course to return to Liverpool action before the end of the season.  The 25-year-old hasn’t played for Jurgen Klopp’s men since suffering a serious knee injury in the first leg of last season’s Champions League semi-final.  The £40million midfielder recently made his comeback in a 2 clash for the Under-23s, playing 41 minutes against Derby before being withdrawn as a precaution.  Oxlade-Chamberlain has been in Dubai during the international break continuing his rehabilitation, doing further fitness, movement and ball work. Read More Liverpool’s James Milner barks title warning to Man City as run-in begins  Klopp confirmed earlier this week that Oxlade-Chamberlain is close to returning to full training with the Reds first-team squad.  “I spoke to him a second ago; Ox is positive, we are all positive,” Klopp said.  “It was a little setback [against Derby], 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.”  During the international break, Oxlade-Chamberlain has continued to work to a tailored fitness programme as he looks to regain some of the sharpness which had been so prevalent in his game before injury.  The ex-Arsenal man’s form in the second half of last season – for club and country – looked set to earn him a starting role at last summer’s World Cup.  “If I make it through these sessions here I should be able to get through it back home even easier, that’s the whole idea,” added the midfielder.  “I’d rather work hard now and feel better for it when I’m back than not work hard enough now and regret it.”   The question for Klopp is whether, amid a title tussle with Manchester City , he throws Oxlade-Chamberlain into the heart of the action so soon?

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