OX OUT FOR THE WHOLE SEASON
ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN is set to miss the whole of next season.
Liverpool believe a competitive game before the end of the campaign would be a “bonus” for the 24-year-old who is recovering from a serious knee injury.
Oxlade-Chamberlain (right) suffered multiple ligament damage in a tackle during his side’s first-leg Champions League semi-final win
FROM BACK PAGE over Roma in April. The England midfielder was told days later he was likely to miss most of the following season.
But he chose to keep the bad news under wraps, even from team-mates, as he did not want to dampen the mood as the Reds went for Champions League glory.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said: “Now is an appropriate time to tell people that for Ox this coming season will be about focusing on recovery and rehab. There has been no change, no setback – it’s exactly on the schedule we expected and planned for.
“The new information is we’re now giving more detail publicly.
“It is typical of Ox that he didn’t want the news to overshadow the end of the season and we thought we could wait and tell people at an appropriate time.
“His surgery – which he had on the day of our second leg in Rome – was successful and his recovery has started superbly well.”