Liverpool fans are hotly anticipating the return of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this season.

Having made a brilliant start to life on Merseyside last year, the Englishman has spent the previous nine months on the treatment table having picked up a serious knee injury against AS Roma.

It was a major blow to the former Arsenal man who had solidified his place in the starting XI and scored crucial goals in Liverpool's race to the Champions League final.

Nevertheless, injuries are a cruel inevitability in football and Oxlade-Chamberlain has been working hard at Melwood to ensure his return comes before the summer.

Despite now having to compete with new arrivals Fabinho and Naby Keita, he'll be looking to make an impact of his own just as the Reds enter the most crucial phase of the season.

Oxlade-Chamberlain's recovery

Jurgen Klopp provided the latest update on the player's rehabilitation in December, noting in a pre-match press conference: “[It’s the] best news, best news.

“He started going on the pitch and from the first step he did it looked completely normal, not like sometimes when a player is coming back from an injury."

Promising news indeed with the Liverpool manager going on to predict that Oxlade-Chamberlain could return around March or even as early as February.

Oxlade-Chamberlain's Instagram activity

However, just because Oxlade-Chamberlain can't be too active on the training pitch, that hasn't stopped him from engaging with Liverpool fans on social media.

Amid the heated Premier League title race with Manchester City, the 25-year-old was seen 'liking' a post on Instagram that won't go down well with their rivals.

That's because SportBible uploaded a tweet mocking Ederson, showing a Liverpool fan replying: 'Think he tried it once and Salah lobbed the f****er,' to claims the Brazilian could play in midfield.

And Oxlade-Chamberlain just couldn't help himself, joining over 70,000 fans enjoying the post before continuing to scroll on. Check out the post down below:

It seems to have slipped under the radar for many Liverpool fans but it's still rather amusing.

Oxlade-Chamberlain certainly enjoying a Liverpool supporter batting away the idea that Ederson could somehow play in the club's midfield, regardless of his polished skills on the ball.

Not only that, but Liverpool happen to own a ball-playing Brazilian goalkeeper of their own.

Alisson Becker has made a huge impact at Liverpool this season, arrived for a then world-record fee of £71 million and currently holds Brazil's number one jersey.

The actual goalkeeping aside, though, it's little gestures like this that explain why Oxlade-Chamberlain has become such a fans' favourite at Anfield.

He is always willing to engage with supporters and, in this case, join in with a joke at City's expense.

Who do you think will win the Premier League - Liverpool or Man City? Have your say in the comments section below.