Liverpool are optimistic Alex’s ankle injury is not a serious one
Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will miss tonight’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Arsenal, but could return for Sunday’s Premier League match at Crystal Palace, assistant manager Pep Lijnders has said.
The 28-year-old was forced off in the second half of Saturday’s 3-0 Premier League victory over Brentford at Anfield, soon after scoring the Reds’ secondgoal.Theproblemrules him out of this week’s return to his former club Arsenal, but Lijnders revealed OxladeChamberlainwasoptimisticof a swift return.
“If we speak about ‘Ox’ we should speak about his outstanding performance first of all,”Lijnderssaid.“Hewasvery important for us, for the team, he played in so many different positions with a lot of quality.
“I spoke with him. He feels OK,notthatbadreally,andhe’s hoping to make the weekend.
"Tonight it will be too soon but we assess it day by day.”
Lijnders also revealed that ThiagoAlcantaraisnotexpected back in training until after the international break at the endofthismonth,whileDivock Origi is unlikely to return until aftertheFACupmatchagainst Cardiff early next month.
But there was better news ontheinjuryfrontthisweekas Harvey Elliott, who suffered a dislocated ankle in September, returned to training and instantly impressed Jurgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders.
Although the 18-year-old
will need time to regain his fitness, Lijnders said there were no signs of rust on his return.
“He didn’t lose his football brain during the time he was off,” Lijnders said.
“It would be a crime not to play him when you see him train like that. Some players don’t knock on the door, they run through it and Harvey is a player like that.
“He’s coming back from a
long term injury so we have to really take our time and it’s important he gets fit and prepareshimselfwell.Butit’sgreat to have him back.”
Lijnders also has no complaints over recent Covid-19 postponements both in the Premier League and the Carabao Cup as he stated his trust in club medical departments to make the right call.
LiverpooltraveltotheEmiratesStadiumtoplaythesecond
leg of their League Cup semifinal against Arsenal, a match which should have been the first leg two weeks ago before a coronavirus outbreak saw it postponed.
Since then, Arsenal had Sunday’s north London derby called off due to a shortage of players, a decision which prompted an angry response from Tottenham as questions wereraisedoverwhetheritwas right that injuries and players being absent on international duty were being taken into account.
But Lijnders said it was impossible for anyone outside a club to know the full picture.
“It’s really difficult to judge from outside,” said Lijnders, who himself tested positive earlier this month during the outbreakatLiverpool.“Wesaw this with our own situation.
“I fully respect the submissions because I trust 100 per cent the medical departments of each Premier League club. I think this is the most important thing, full trust in these decisions. The right decision is always in the first place to protect the players, the staff and their families. You want to see football games with the best players.”