Liverpool may have lost Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but they might just get a reinforcement back just in time.
Adam Lallana has been out since limping off against Crystal Palace on March 31 after just five minutes, but according to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, he’s nearing a return. Klopp said that Lallana’s injury is a thing of the past, and that he’s simply looking to regain match fitness to be able to fully contribute.
“Adam is here doing his fitness work,” Klopp said in his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League match against Stoke City on Saturday at 7:30 a.m. ET. “He’s not injured any more but he’s not fit yet. We hope still that one or two games might be possible for him. We will see.”
Lallana has truly struggled with with injuries this season, spending nearly the first three months of the season on the shelf with a hamstring problem plus he sat for another 12 matches after that for various reasons. Lallana hasn’t completed a full 90 minutes in Premier League play this entire season. However, should he prove fit before the end of the Premier League season, that would also see him available for a potential Champions League final if Liverpool can seal the deal in Rome.
Meanwhile, Klopp also spoke about Emre Can who has seen lots of time in the trainer’s room with a back injury, without an appearance since March 17. The prospects of Can returning are less promising thank Lallana, with Klopp saying, “Emre is a little bit further away. His rehab is improving a lot. It is much better, but it is quite close to the end of the season.
“I haven’t closed any doors on both of them,” Klopp said of the injured pair. “There is still a possibility.”