Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will miss nearly all of the 2018/19 season as part of his rehabilitation from a serious knee surgery, Liverpool have confirmed.
Oxlade-Chamberlain missed out on the World Cup after suffering ligament damage to his right knee in April during Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final first-leg match with Roma at Anfield.
He had surgery on the injured knee several days later, although an estimated recovery time was never mentioned.
In a statement on Liverpool’s website on Wednesday, Jurgen Klopp said that the 24-year old is expected to miss most of the new season.
“It feels like now is an appropriate time to tell people that for Ox this coming season will be about focusing on recovery and rehab,” Klopp said.
“We have known this from pretty much the day after he got the injury and after the successful surgery, we were sure of it.
“There has been no change, no setback – it’s exactly on the schedule we expected and planned for. The new information is that we’re now giving more detail publicly.
“His surgery – which he had on the day of our second leg in Roma – has been completely successful and his recovery has started superbly well.
“But the truth of the matter is that we are preparing this season knowing he will not be with us on the pitch for competitive matches for the majority of it. If we do see him back this season it will be a bonus.”
The German added that his recovery would not be rushed.
