Oxlade-chamberlain dreams of Champions League final role after 2018 heartache
Liverpool midfielder Alex Ox lade-Chamberlain is dreaming of playing a part in the Champions League final after injury denied him a role 12 months ago.
Among the saddest sights following the 3-1 defeat by Real Madrid in Kiev was the England international hop - ping around the running track of Olympiyski Stadium on crutches trying to keep up with his team-mates as they acknowledged the support of the fans.
Ox lade-Chamberlains ustained a serious knee injury in the semi-final first leg against Roma, a problem which ruled him out of the clash with Real Madrid a month later and sidelined him for 12 months in total.
Having made his comeback in two substitute appearances amounting to just 20 minutes the 25-year-old is hoping he gets to make up for missing out last year.
He will, at least, be guaranteed a place on the bench for the clash against Tottenham on 1 June in the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid as a change in regulations means clubs can name 12 substitutes for Uefa’s showpiece finals.
“I wasn’ t able to get loads of minutes[ on his return] but I was happy to just come back,” he told the club’s official website. “Dreams are made of maybe having some part to play in Madrid, but it’s not about me – it’s about making sure whoever is on the pitch does the job for the club and for the team.
“If I can be involved, that would be amazing, but just to be around it and be fit and healthy again is good for me as well at the minute.”
Naby Keita’s recover y from at high problem is ahead of schedule, however he is unlikely to be fit enough to feature for the Reds in the final. Keita tore an adductor muscle in the 3- 0 semi-final first leg defeat in Barcelona and the initial prognosis was a twomonth absence.
But having responded well to treatment the midfielder, who is out in Marbella with the rest of the squad preparing for the clash with Spurs, has now returned to running.
“Naby is, I would say, a bit ahead of schedule, but that doesn’t mean anything for the final,” said manager Jurgen Klopp.