Jurgen Klopp has warned Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain he must be patient…despite the midfielder’s desperation for first team action.
The England star made his first Premier League start in 16 months when he faced Southampton last weekend, with his manager delighted by the performance.
And Oxlade-Chamberlain is keen to made up for lost time, after damaging knee ligaments in the Champions League semi final in April 2018, starting with his old club Arsenal this weekend.
But Klopp has cautioned the player to take things slowly. The midfielder did start in the Super Cup final against Chelsea last Wednesday, but struggled and was hauled off at half time.
Klopp said: “He needs to be patient in the right way, and everything will be fine 100 per cent. We only talk about Ox because everybody knows how good he is.
“We need to make sure that he can show that on the pitch as well. When I make the decision that he is now ready then it is my responsibility of course, and the boy only has to try to do his best. That’s what Ox obviously did.”
Klopp had suggested it was his mistake if the midfielder wasn’t ready for the game in Istanbul, where Chelsea dominated the first half, and Oxlade-Chamberlain was replaced at half time by Roberto Firmino.
Yet he bounced back at St Mary’s on Saturday, enjoying an impressive second half, which suggested he is returning to his best. Klopp, wants to remain cautious though, after just one full game in more than a year.
“What did I say to Ox after the game in Istanbul? Nothing. It’s a completely normal situation.
“He had a difficult game and we have a sensational offensive option on the bench, so I thought it made sense to use that. That was all, nothing else. With Ox, with patience in the right way, everything should be fine.”
Klopp has an injury problem in midfield, with Naby Keita ruled out of the weekend visit of Arsenal by a muscle problem in the hip area. The manager indicated he could be out for a while.
Liverpool meanwhile, could see their additional payments for Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona delayed, after the Brazilian joined Bayern Munich on a year’s loan.
The Reds are still due around £20m in bonuses, based on appearances and trophies. But they have a clause in the £140m transfer agreement, which would see them achieve close to that headline final figure, should he be sold on permanently. They will also receive a payment for the loan period.
