Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has insisted he is in high spirits and that his rehabilitation from his serious knee injury is going well.
The 25-year-old is set to be sidelined for the whole of this season after damaging every major ligament in his right knee, including the cruciate, medial and lateral collateral ligaments in last season's Champions League semi-final against Roma.
Chamberlain has since had surgery on the injury and insisted on Saturday evening ahead of England's match against Spain that he is keeping a positive outlook.
'It is a very serious injury and it can happen to any of us at any time so that's obviously something that is never easy to deal with and get over,' Chamberlain told Sky Sport.
'But I'm making progress and I'm trying to stay positive, that's the sort of character that I am and I'm feeling that is the best way to move things forward so I am in good spirits and I'm progressing for sure.'
The midfielder described the injury as the biggest setback of his career after it forced him to miss the World Cup this summer.
Gareth Southgate's plans for Russia had featured Chamberlain and the midfielder admitted watching England progress to the semi-finals in his absence was tough to watch.
He added: 'I can’t sit here and lie and say it was easy, it was really difficult as I had a realistic chance of playing but at the same time I went into England fan mode.
'It was amazing to see the boys do so well and it was really exciting back home, so it was hard but I was so happy that they managed to do so well.'
podkill
55
Yeah his first performance was absolutely terrible and everyone immediately wrote him off. The turn around has been incredible and he really does bring so much to the side.
sabre2001
50
sure miss #ochambo in that champions league final, he brings this tenacity to the attacking progression of the team last season,especially with the kind of bench #Lfc parades last season you are sourly missed bro,get well soon YNWA
pplive
43
Happened every single year. He's just an injury prone player unfortunately
lively
34
my problem is why did the training staff let him try and walk himself off the pitch?
Underworld
34
When you also consider how it was three or four months into the season before he was properly settled and up to our play, that is a really good return