Premier League giants Liverpool have, on Friday, been dealt a fresh blow on the personnel front.

Jurgen Klopp’s troops, of course, are currently in the process of stepping up preparations for the new campaign.

After falling to a heavy defeat at the hands of arch rivals Manchester United in the club’s pre-season opener earlier this week, as part of the latest stop on their Asian tour, the Reds today went head to head with another Premier League competitor, in the form of Crystal Palace.

And, on this occasion, Liverpool’s efforts are developing much more according to plan.

Owing to strikes on the part of Jordan Henderson and Mohamed Salah, Klopp and co. are currently in possession of a 2-0 advantage at The Singapore National Stadium.

As alluded to above, though, one sour note on an otherwise positive afternoon for the Merseyside giants thus far has come in the form of a blow on the personnel front.

The player to have been forced into a premature departure from proceedings? Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Late in the first-half of play, ‘The Ox’ went to ground with what appeared to be a muscular injury, with the frustration of just the latest in what have proven a seemingly never-ending series of setbacks for the England international having been etched firmly across his face.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, in turn, made his way straight down the tunnel, ahead of an imminent round of medical scans.

News of Liverpool’s latest personnel concern comes with one key performer – in the form of Diogo Jota – having been forced to sit out proceedings altogether on Friday, after limping out of training with an alleged hamstring problem during the week.

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