Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain faces a huge battle to play regular football at the club, with almost all of the club’s midfield options having raised their games.
Oxlade-Chamberlain got injured during the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Manchester City last season.
The Englishman damaged his anterior cruciate ligament and subsequently missed out on the final in Kiev against Real Madrid and going to the World Cup.
He was expected to miss a large chunk of the 2018/19 season, but the player has suggested he could be back sooner rather than later with a post to his Instagram.
The ex-Arsenal man uploaded a picture of him jogging with coaches with the caption: “That feeling when you’re finally back out on the grass for the first time in 8 months.”
Patience will be a virtue
It is not known exactly when Chamberlain will be back available for selection, but his social media post is definitely encouraging.
But he might have some trouble getting back into the side, with a number of players having starred in his position this term.
Georginio Wijnaldum in particular has stood out in central midfield, and Jordan Henderson and James Milner have both been a solid form.
Fabinho has finally settled at Anfield and looks like he’ll be a big player for Jurgen Klopp, and another new recruit Naby Keita has shown signs of promise.
Xherdan Shaqiri has been played centrally on a number of occasions and looks like outstanding business at £13.5 million, and then there’s Adam Lallana who is beginning to get a bit more game time.
Chamberlain has it all to do when he returns. Luckily for him he’d been in fantastic form before his injury so Klopp will know he can be very useful in the second half of the season.