Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp fears Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s fine debut season for Liverpool is over after the midfielder suffered a knee injury against Roma that threatens his involvement at the World Cup. Oxlade-Chamberlain was taken off on a stretcher in distress during the Champions League semi-final first leg victory following a 15th-minute challenge on Aleksandar Kolarov, his right knee appearing to give way as he tackled the former Manchester City defender.
The extent of the England international’s injury will not be known until later in the week but the Liverpool manager said the club’s medical team did not expect him to play again this season. With only two months to go before the World Cup, Oxlade-Chamberlain’s loss is also likely to impact on Gareth Southgate’s plans for Russia. Klopp said: “The biggest blow for the mood in the dressing room is the injury of Oxlade-Chamberlain, so conceding two goals is not what we want 100 per cent but we can deal with that.”
Asked whether he expected the player’s season to be over, the Liverpool manager replied: “Yes, that is how it is unfortunately. We don’t know yet but when all the medical department are concerned without a scan then you know it doesn’t look good. The season is not that long any more. I am a very positive person and hope it only feels bad but the reason I am not flying mood-wise tonight is because we lost a fantastic player. I am not in the mood to talk about fantastic things. Since I have been here Liverpool has always had to take the more difficult way but in the end Liverpool have always succeeded.”