Jurgen Klopp says fit-again Liverpool ‘difference-maker’ has looked very good in training

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has raved about midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in The Guardian.

Oxlade-Chamberlain returned to full training this week and has recovered from damaged knee ligaments he suffered during pre-season training back in August.

Klopp has been impressed by how the 27-year-old former Arsenal star has done in training and has spoken highly of the England international.

The German told The Guardian: “In training, what Ox did so far you can see his quality immediately. He is a difference-maker, you can see that. The speed, the technique, the combination of right foot, left foot; he can play different positions, score goals, so when he can finally play – and I don’t know whether that will be this week or next – it is a big plus for us.

“How long you can do that in a game depends on your fitness level and your fitness level depends on the amount of sessions you’ve had before games. Being compared to the best moment of your career after coming back from an injury is a really dumb thing to do. ‘Oh, he’s not that good any more.’

“I have no time for that. Ox is an outstanding player, was always and will always be. Did he always play perfectly well? No. But he had a few really good games that helped us a lot. The longer he can stay without injury the better he will be. This time we are really confident we can do that until the end of his career.”

Big boost for Liverpool

Of course, it is going to take Oxlade-Chamberlain a while to get full match fitness, and one should not expect the 27-year-old to start weaving his magic right from the start when he makes his appearance in a competitive match.

Liverpool are doing well without the midfielder at the moment, and one suspects that Klopp will not rush him and will allow him time to get back to his best.

The Reds are fighting for the Premier League title and the Champions League, and Oxlade-Chamberlain would be an asset for the Reds in that quest and could be a big player for the Merseyside outfit in the business end of the season.

Liverpool will take on Fulham away from home at Craven Cottage in the Premier League on Sunday.