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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp awaits the return of his “difference maker” Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Liverpool are in action in the Premier League in Fulham on Sunday, as the English international is set to make his first appearance for a one-day team since sustaining a knee injury in preseason.
It will be the 27-year-old’s second comeback from a knee problem, although he is not even close to a break as long as when he was off duty for 366 days after tearing his ACL and tearing his lateral collateral ligament. damaging his medial ligament and ripping a hamstring from the bone in an inning during a Champions League semi-final.
There was some criticism about the player’s performances after he first returned, but Klopp said it was unfair.
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Klopp says his team must focus on Sunday’s game in Fulham before they can think of Wednesday’s decisive game against league leaders Tottenham at Anfield.
“I don’t understand these kinds of discussions, to be honest. You have to hurt yourself once in your life to understand how difficult it is to find everything completely natural and normal again after that,” he said.
“Being compared to the prime of his career after coming back from injury is a really silly thing to do, ‘oh, it’s not that good anymore,’ I don’t have time for that.
“Ox is an outstanding player, an outstanding player, always was and always will be.
Sunday December 13 4:15 pm
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“In training, what Ox did so far you can see his quality right away. Right away. He’s a difference maker, you can see.
“Did he always play perfectly well? No. But he had some really good games that helped us a lot.”
“The longer he can stay injury free, the better off he will be. This time we are really confident that we can do it until the end of his career.”
Liverpool have missed Oxlade-Chamberlain’s drive and scoring ability from midfield, but Klopp is confident it won’t be long before they see him again.
And he believes the team will benefit from having the midfielder back.
“He’s just a very positive person, a very optimistic person. At a time when Ox joins parts of team training again, everyone benefits from that. That’s how it is,” Klopp added.
“You don’t know you miss him because he’s not around for long and then the moment he walks in and he’s in the gym with the players, they say ‘Okay, sure … he’s much better when he’s here.’ That’s Ox .
“In the first weeks, the kids get all the help they need, but then, especially with Ox, he’s the one who gives energy, he doesn’t need too much energy from other people.”
Alisson could face Fulham, doubts about Jota
Alisson has missed Liverpool’s last three games after sustaining a hamstring injury against Brighton last month
Klopp says goalkeeper Alisson has returned to training and could play Fulham, but admits there are questions about Diogo Jota’s fitness.
Alisson has missed the last three games after suffering a hamstring injury against Brighton on November 28, and academy graduate Caoimhin Kelleher substituted in his absence.
The Brazilian international returned to training on Friday and could appear at Craven Cottage if he passes a fitness test.
Klopp also confirmed that Jota took a hit in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Midtjylland in the Champions League and is a doubt for the trip to Fulham, as is defender Kostas Tsimikas.
“We had some issues, I would say, but we have to see. The diagnosis is not finally made,” Klopp said.
“Kostas, we have to see. Diogo took a hit too, that’s from the game I think.”
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