Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is likely to miss the whole of the forthcoming season, with the Premier League club saying Wednesday that they were already aware of the grim scenario. The 24-year-old suffered multiple knee ligament damage during the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Roma in April and underwent successful surgery eight days later.

"The estimated length of his lay-off was not revealed at the time at the request of Oxlade-Chamberlain, who did not want the news to distract from the Reds' ongoing Champions League run and the excitement surrounding it," said a Liverpool statement. Manager Jurgen Klopp told liverpoolfc.com that he was aware that the former Arsenal star would likely be unavailable for the 2018/2019 season. !It feels like now is an appropriate time to tell people that for Ox this coming season will be about focusing on recovery and rehab," said Klopp.