Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could face six weeks on the sidelines as Jürgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, counts the cost of his team’s Club World Cup success.
The England midfielder suffered a worrying ankle injury in Liverpool’s final victory against Flamengo, settled thanks to a goal by Roberto Firmino in extra time in Doha on Saturday.
Scans have revealed ligament damage which will certainly keep Oxlade-Chamberlain out for the remainder of the festive period, which features the Boxing Day trip to second-placed Leicester City plus home games with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield United.
The Times understands that such injuries can often take up to six weeks to heal which is a prospect that Klopp was left contemplating on Christmas Eve prior to his team’s first training session since returning from the Middle East.
“With Oxlade the ankle is probably what we expected,” Klopp said. “You have three ligaments on the outside of the ankle and one of them is damaged, we will see how quickly we can fix that.
“I had a similar injury myself, though it’s many years ago, and it can take a while [to recover] or be quick. We will have to see.
“He has no chance for Thursday, there is no chance this year, Ox will not play anymore, and we will have to see have quickly it will settle.”