Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Opens Up on 'Letting Teammates Down' During Injury Hell

Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has opened up on his mindset during his prolonged injury absence last season, saying he felt like he was letting his teammates down with the time he spent on the sidelines. 

The midfielder picked up a horrific cruciate injury during his side's Champions League semi-final with Roma in April 2018, forcing him out of the resulting final with Real Madrid and the 12 months that would follow.

Jurgen Klopp stuck by him throughout, refusing to sign a replacement as ​the Reds went from strength to strength, picking up a club record 97 points in the Premier League and redeeming themselves by lifting the ​Champions League at the expense of Tottenham back in June. 

But even as his teammates flourished in his absence, Chamberlain - who is now firmly back in the first team picture after featuring in every one of Liverpool's six games this season - says he couldn't help but feel he was letting the side down as he sat out the action. 

​"I think, for me, of the back of what the boys achieved last year, it's 'can I add that little bit extra?'" he told ​BT Sport, following Liverpool's ​3-1 win over Newcastle. 

"The boys in midfield played a lot of minutes and they all rotated really well. I've been added back into that now so it's on me to try and bring a little something or some relief to the boys when they've played a lot.

"What they achieved last year was so extraordinary. To miss out on the league in the way we did, it was really heart-breaking.

"For us, as a team, we know we need to do better. With teams like ​Man City, and how relentless they are, we know we have to do that.

"For me as an individual, my goals are to get back in and around the team and get back to doing something I let them down with last year by not being there."