Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has insisted that Reds midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will still have an important role to play when he returns from injury.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is still recovering from the multiple ligament damage he suffered during Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final first leg clash against AS Roma last season.
The 25-year-old is expected to be ruled out for the majority of the 2018/19 season and will face a race against time if he is to make an appearance for the first team this term.
The midfielder, who made the switch to Anfield from Arsenal at the beginning of last season, was enjoying a fruitful spell under Jurgen Klopp before the horrific injury sidelined him with a severe problem.
Henderson, who remains close to Oxlade-Chamberlain after playing alongside him at Under-21 level for England, insisted that the midfielder still has a crucial role to play when he returns from injury for the Reds.
“He’s a great lad and I just hope he can keep getting stronger and get back to us as soon as he can, because he’s a massive, massive player for us”, Henderson told Liverpool FC magazine.
“I’ve played with Ox for a long time, from England U21s upwards, and I knew how good he was then.
“It was a massive bonus that we signed him and I know he will come back stronger. When he does and he gets back into his rhythm, he’ll be straight back in.
“So, fingers crossed he keeps going the way he has been because I think he’s progressing well with his rehab.
“Hopefully that will continue because Ox has got a big part to play whenever he is back.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain may have his work cut out earning a spot in the team when he returns to fitness for the Merseyside outfit, considering the rich competition for places in midfield at Anfield this season.
