Klopp: We’re so happy to have Ox back
JURGEN KLOPP hailed the return of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as Liverpool reclaimed top spot with a fivegoal demolition of Huddersfield.
There was never any doubt that Liverpool were going to run out convincing winners after Naby Keita put them ahead inside 15 seconds and two strikes each for Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane (below) enabled Klopp’s side to whittle down Manchester City’s goal difference.
The night, however, belonged in many ways to Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was introduced in the second half to a thunderous ovation. It was the first time he had played at Anfield for 367 days, having suffered huge damage to his knee ligaments against Roma last year.
It has been a long road back for the England international, one that has not always been smooth, but Oxlade-Chamberlain — who was denied a fairytale goal by Huddersfield keeper Jonas Lossl — will now be involved in the conclusion to the season.
Klopp, understandably, was overjoyed that he was able to call upon him once again.
‘It’s brilliant, seeing him smile after missing the chance is nearly heart- breaking,’ said Klopp, who insisted that the muscle injury that ruled Roberto Firmino out of the game was nothing too serious.
‘It’s cool. A perfect day, nothing happened injury wise and we won the game in an impressive manner. Ox is such a wonderful person and better as a player. Imagine that! As a guy he’s outstanding, and we are so happy for him.
‘You can see like Kevin De Bruyne, what a player, but he came from an injury,
you bring him in and he’s there. The intensity of the league is nearly too much. We have to manage Ox really carefully. You see him in training, people excited, Ox is back and he’s out again.
‘Now he’s back, now we start using him from time to time. Coming on with his speed, football intelligence, and being in the right place, it’s nice. We had to think when we wrote the names on the teamsheet today what we call him. There a lot of options: Alex, Ox, Chambo whatever. It was that long ago since we did it. It is nice, it is really good news.’
Liverpool now have five days to prepare for the first leg of their Champions League semi- final against Barcelona. Firmino will be given every opportunity to prove his fitness but Klopp insists that he has not yet given too much thought to the collision in the Nou Camp.
‘Can you imagine I didn’t think a second until now about Barcelona,’ said Klopp. ‘I saw them in my life one hundred times. If you want to watch a good game Barcelona is involved. But I didn’t think about Barcelona. We start now.
‘Five days until that game, it’s enough to rest, enough to prepare. It’s not likely it will happen for us but it’s possible. From tomorrow I will start thinking about really intensively. We will have a plan for sure, not at the moment.’ Klopp felt the final score was flattering and he said of Huddersfield: ‘They did well, much better than 5-0 says. They were brave, defended in a specific way.
‘All over it was brilliant from us. A good performance. Composure, everything you need was there.’