While Oxlade-Chamberlain would prefer to be playing right now, he is doing all he can to ensure that he will be ready to hit the ground running when the right opportunity presents itself.
He added when asked what his current schedule looks like: "Just a lot of waiting around, training and keeping myself fit. All that fun stuff that isn’t that fun! It’s a different situation for me to be in, I had that at Liverpool when I became a free agent, I saw my contract out there. I had it for a month or two, and then I signed in Turkey on August 14th, so it wasn’t like now. Now the season is well and truly underway, and there’s that awkward bit of waiting and you’re missing out and want to be playing.
"It’s different – it’s not a nice situation for any footballer to be in, but I’m fortunate enough that I’ve put myself into a situation to choose what’s best for me, and I’ve said no to things. There’s more in play now – family, children, I’m being a bit more selective. Ultimately, the whole thing is that I want to get back playing again as soon as possible.
"There’s obviously stuff you can do to be proactive yourself, maybe even find opportunities or letting people know you’d be open to opportunities. Ultimately, it’s out of your control. You’re sat waiting for a call, for a team to decide they need you and that you can bring value. It’s a lot of waiting around."