Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp believes the club must be patient with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as he continues to nurse a niggling calf problem.
The midfielder missed the duration of last season following a long-term knee injury he sustained towards the back-end of the 2017/18 campaign.
However, he has been participating in the Reds’ pre-season training and has also played regularly in their friendly outings so far.
Jurgen Klopp handed Oxlade-Chamberlain a start in Liverpool’s latest fixture against Portuguese giants Sporting CP, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
The England international was able to play for an hour before he was substituted by the German, who proceeded to deliver an update on his condition following the game in New York.
As quoted by The Telegraph, Klopp said:
He has been a bit unlucky with a calf problem. It is not a tear but something he has from time to time when the intensity gets too high for him. He had to get through the first 20 minutes when he was really involved and then he felt it.
Then he was not part of the game anymore, which is not too cool for the others if there is someone on and off. Apart from that, he has made all the sessions, which is unbelievably important. That is very positive.
Oxlade-Chamberlain will hope to put his injury woes behind him, with Liverpool’s competitive campaign kicking off on August 4 when they lock horns with Manchester City in the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium.
