Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain quick recovery gives Liverpool an early New Year boost

The former Arsenal midfielder has been sidelined since April due to serious knee injury – ruling him out of England’s World Cup campaign – and was expected to miss all of the 2018-19 season; however, the 25-year-old is ahead of schedule in his road to recovery.

Chamberlain returned to Melwood on Christmas Eve and was pictured running and expressed his joy towards his development in a post on Instagram.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has since stated that Oxlade-Chamberlain could feature in the latter stages of this season.

“The best news was he really started going on the pitch and from the first step it looked completely normal,” Klopp said to the Liverpool Echo. “It’s not like when players come back sometimes and start running, not really limping, but it’s not the picture you have in your mind.

“From the first step it looked like Ox, and there was no reaction, which is nicer.

“No pressure on him but it looks like he may be back in normal training in February, late February, March. So that gives us hope that he will be back this season.

“That’s the moment. We are usually not that excited about something like this, a lot of things can happen, but it looked so positive.

“It’s a surprise, and if anybody from the medical department listens to what I said they’ll have a breakdown,” he added. “It looks really good. It needs time and each little muscle needs to adapt to the intensity.

“It’s a long way to go, but it’s a boost for the whole dressing room. He’s such an important part of that. If he could be back in the team that would be really good.

“We don’t know, but it’s a surprise, he’s ahead of schedule. We won’t push it too much, but we won’t hold him back.”