With an extended period of time off between fixtures, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has brought his club to Marbella, Spain for a warm weather training trip.
As the author of this post currently looks outside, a massive blizzard is in progress. For many, if not most of you who are reading this, the current weather conditions where you leave probably make you likewise wish you were in a southern coastal city in Spain right now; where it’s sunny and mild.
Liverpool’s next match is a week from tonight, when they host Bavarian powerhouse Bayern Munich in the first of their two-legged UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie. Five days later they’ll take on arch-rival Manchester United at Old Trafford.
"It's as if he's never left!!" ????@Alex_OxChambo joins the Reds for rondos… pic.twitter.com/g3XZIaC2T0
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 12, 2019
Liverpool arrived in the Mediterranean port city yesterday, and plan on staying until Friday. The big news of the Tuesday training session surrounds midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who engaged in full training with the squad for the first time since he suffered a devastating knee ligament injury against AS Roma in the UEFA Champions League semifinals last season.
Originally, the Ox had been expected to miss all of 2018-19, but he’s now currently well on his way to featuring again before too long. What an amazingly feel good story the English international is.
Meanwhile defenders Dejan Lovren and Joe Gomez remained back in Liverpool, rehabbing their injuries. Midfielders James Milner, Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum also all missed training today. However, Rhian Brewster, Ben Woodburn and Nat Phillips all participated in the training session.
“The boys had to do a bit of core work, passing and the rondos and it’s nice [they could be involved],” said Jurgen Klopp.
“These things Ox can do, and Rhian can do, and Ben can do and Nat Phillips could do most of them. That’s all good. This afternoon they will have to do their own stuff again and hopefully we can integrate them step by step.”
Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool are currently level on points with Manchester City for the top of the Premier League table, but behind -10 on goal differential. However, the Reds also have a game in hand on City.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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