Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's return from a knee injury after almost a year out was aborted by a hamstring problem yesterday.
The Liverpool and England midfielder was ahead of schedule in his recovery and playing in his first game since last April for the club’s Under 23s at Derby. He was due to have a 45-minute run-out but, slowing down, he rubbed his hamstring and did some stretches before signalling to be replaced after 41 minutes.
Liverpool’s medical team thought that he would feel some kind of reaction but on the plus side his right knee was pain-free. He will have a scan on his left hamstring today.
Oxlade-Chamberlain ruptured his cruciate, medial and lateral ligaments during the Champions League semi-final against Roma 11 months ago and manager Jurgen Klopp has made it clear that undue expectations should not be placed on him and that ‘we all need to be sensible’.
Neil Critchley, Liverpool’s Under 23 manager, said: ‘Hopefully it’s nothing major. The bonus for him is that it’s not his knee, so he’s delighted there are no problems with that.’
Klopp’s side face Burnley tomorrow aiming to keep the pressure on Manchester City, despite not scoring in three of their last four games.
‘We are trying for the first time (for the title) and for the first time we are not in a bad position,’ said the Liverpool manager.
‘Let’s do what we did that brought us here plus more intensity if possible, with a positive atmosphere around us. Let’s try it and not be this little weak flower or try another way.’