Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is set for more time on the sidelines amid continued doubt over his future at Liverpool.
The midfielder has been heavily linked with a move away from Anfield this summer with the club reviewing their options. Midfield is an immensely competitive area and Oxlade-Chamberlain finds himself some way down the pecking order with new recruits being bought in.
A fresh injury blow will mean he is unable to further his case for more involvement, which is all the more frustrating given his contract expires in the summer. Oxlade-Chamberlain picked up a serious hamstring injury in the pre-season game against Crystal Palace a fortnight ago in Singapore.
Jurgen Klopp has now confirmed that the former Southampton man will have to endure a lengthy period on the sidelines, whilst teammate Caoimh Kelleher is only facing a matter of weeks out ahead of this Sunday's Community Shield.
“Yeah, Caoimh felt something after the international game and everybody, the medical department there, told him it’s fine and will be good after holiday,” The German told the club's website. “He came back and first training [session] felt it again. We checked it and it was not good so I think Caoimh will be another two, three weeks and then he should be fine.
“With Oxlade it will take longer. It’s a serious hamstring injury and it will take longer. But it’s a hamstring, and we all hate this word, we hate the injury but anyway it happens from time to time and now Ox was the one.”
Have you say! Should Liverpool cash in on Oxlade-Chamberlain? Let us know here.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has consistently had to overcome injury problems during his time on Merseyside. He moved to the Reds from Arsenal in the summer of 2017 for £35m, but a knee injury sustained that season meant he missed the World Cup 12 months later in Russia.
Last year, as he reflected on his time with Liverpool, the midfielder said: "I don't really think that I've had, like, loads of injuries, but the ones I've had are big and they've kept me out for long spells, which I think sometimes makes people think I'm always injured. That's a bit of a frustrating one.
"But during those spells and the battle to come back and prove yourself and whatever, I've sort of had to remind myself that through all of that 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."
