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Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been sidelined with injury since he was forced off the field in the Champions League semi-final last year, but a return to full fitness looks set to arrive during the final months of the campaign after he was added to the club's Champions League squad, as per the London Evening Standard.

What's the word?

Liverpool's injury list has been piling up in recent weeks but the latest development concerns the return of a lengthy absentee.

According to a recent report from the London Evening Standard, Oxlade-Chamberlain has been added to Liverpool's Champions League squad ahead of the last-16 tie against Bayern Munich.

The England international had initially been expected to return in the summer, but the progress he has made behind the scenes is pushing him towards a return this season.

Ki-Jana Hoever has also been added to the list, replacing Nathaniel Clyne following his loan move to Bournemouth, as per BBC.

A game-changing boost for Liverpool

Liverpool's typically rampant, free-flowing and fearful midfield has become uncharacteristically devoid of creativity in recent weeks.

The combination play in midfield has become rather predictable, but the injection of dynamism Oxlade-Chamberlain would provide could transform the effectiveness of Jurgen Klopp's midfield trio.

With Liverpool still in the hunt for both the Champions League and the Premier League, the German manager will need as many quality options as possible at his disposal, and the return of the Ox will effectively feel like a new signing.

It may take the 25-year-old a few games to find his feet once again, but his performances - whether they be off the bench or from the outset - could represent a game-changer for the Reds.