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The mood around Anfield has taken a notable downturn in light of a pair of draws against Leicester City and West Ham United, but a timely boost has arrived to lift spirits at the club.

Indeed, according to a recent report from the London Evening Standard, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is ahead of schedule in his bid to return from injury and Jurgen Klopp has selected him in Liverpool's Champions League squad for the knockout stage of the competition.

The 25-year-old midfielder has been sidelined ever since a tackle from Aleksandar Kolarov unfortunately resulted in a nasty injury, one that cruelly ruled him out of World Cup contention in the middle of a bright period of form which suggested he was a contender to start for England in Russia.

But nearly ten months later it seems that he is edging towards an eagerly-anticipated return, and the supporters couldn't be happier.

Liverpool's midfield has been lacking the presence of a direct dribbler and genuine goal threat from deep in recent weeks, but his return could provide Klopp with a weapon to exploit in Europe.

The fact he has been sidelined for such a prolonged period of time suggests the last-sixteen clash against Bayern Munich may come too soon for Oxlade-Chamberlain, but if the Reds progress he might have a chance to play a key role in the latter stages.

Here's what the Liverpool fans have had to say about the latest update...