Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson has described Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s lack of game time at Liverpool as “criminal”.
The 28-year-old started the Reds’ season opener against Norwich but has only played eight minutes of league football since, with many of Jurgen Klopp’s midfield options having returned to full fitness.
His only other start so far for Liverpool also came against Norwich in the Carabao Cup, while he has appeared twice off the bench in the Champions league.
A recent report from The Mirror suggested that Oxlade-Chamberlain may look to find game time elsewhere and Robinson agrees that the England international should not be sat on the sidelines.
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“He’s too good not to be playing. It’s criminal,” the ex-Spurs goalkeeper said.
“I cannot see Liverpool letting him go in January though. Salah and Mane are off to the African Cup of Nations and he is one of the players who can play in those wide positions.
“He gives them an option across the midfield and the front line. A player like that is going to be hard to replace. He is the ideal player,” he told Football Insider .
“But, from the player’s point of view, he is too good to be sitting on the bench every week. He is not getting enough game time.
“The only situation I can see him leaving in January is if Liverpool signed a replacement first.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain has made more than 100 appearances for the Reds since arriving from Arsenal in 2017, the club he was linked with a return to earlier this week.
Winning 35 caps for England, the versatile midfielder has had parts of time at Anfield hampered by two long-term long-term injuries.
However, he did feature 30 times in Liverpool’s 2019/20 title-winning campaign and admitted last month that this season is an important one, having overcome his injury worries:
“I've sort of had to remind myself that through all of that [recovery] at this point in my career, I'm still lucky enough to be at an amazing football club like Liverpool and how lucky I am to have that opportunity to still be in this environment, competing at this level.
"I feel like this season's important for me to go and do something really good – hopefully on an individual level and then obviously for the team."
