England midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will miss the World Cup in Russia after sustaining knee ligament damage while playing for Liverpool against AS Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old left the field on a stretcher after a collision with Roma full back Aleksandar Kolarov in the first half of Liverpool’s 5-2 first-leg victory at Anfield.
“Absolutely devastated to have picked up this injury at such a crucial time in the season,” Oxlade-Chamberlain said in a statement on Twitter on Wednesday.
“Gutted I won’t be able to play any further part now in our Champions League run for Liverpool and also the World Cup with England.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain had become an important component in Liverpool’s midfield in recent weeks, cementing his place in the side following the departure of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in January.
Injuries
The 2018 World Cup will be the third international tournament that Oxlade-Chamberlain has missed due to a knee problem.
The midfielder, who moved to Liverpool from Arsenal at the start of the season, missed the World Cup in 2014 after being injured in a warm-up match with England.
He also sat out the 2016 European Championship with a similar injury.
-
Salah leads Liverpool to 5-2 win over Roma in CL semifinals
Mohamed Salah produced two world-class finishes and set up goals for Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino to lead Liverpool to a 5-2 win over former club ... Sports -
Salah’s prolific season at Liverpool surprises Roma President
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah’s prolific season since leaving AS Roma has come as a surprise to the Italian Serie A club’s President ... Sports -
Madrid-Bayern, Liverpool-Roma in Champions League semifinals
Two-time defending champion Real Madrid will play Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinals. The two teams, who have a combined 17 European ... Sports -
Oxlade-Chamberlain joins Liverpool from Arsenal
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain became the second England international to leave Arsenal in two days when he joined Premier League rivals Liverpool for a ... Sports