CHARLOTTE -- Adam Lallana admits Gareth Southgate probably made the correction decision to leave him out of England's World Cup squad this summer.
An injury-plagued 2017-18 campaign limited Lallana to just three starts for Liverpool, and could only find a place on Southgate's standby list.
The midfielder believes, if 100 percent fit, he would have certainly been part of the squad that reached the semifinals for the first time in 28 years, revealing his frustration at watching back home.
"[Gareth] has been absolutely brilliant," Lallana said. "It probably wasn't a comfortable call for him but he made it, like he made it for the other lads who missed out.
"I know that if my season was different and I had been fit, I would have been there. But it was probably the right call.
"He said you don't gain your form in a tournament, going on history and past experiences.
"Listen, the lads had a massive tournament but I am sure I have still got a lot to give. I will be there in the next camp.
"Of course it was frustrating because I wanted to be there. It is what it is. Sometimes when you are a professional footballer, you have to deal with tough decisions.
"So I was just supporting them like any other fan. My best mate Jordan [Henderson] was there and he was one of the best players. It was great to see him do so well. The team got to a semifinal and it was a remarkable achievement."
The 30-year-old said he was keen to report to Liverpool's preseason training as soon as possible after the summer break to put his injury woes behind him.
"I had a good break," Lallana said. "I probably physically didn't need it hence why it was good to meet up with England and train for a week.
"I trained myself over the summer. I came back, had a little bit of illness in the first three or four days and missed the game at Chester. But the 45 minutes have been brilliant for me. It is exactly what I need.
"I want time on the grass and that is the beauty of preseason. I am enjoying it and my body is feeling good."
Lallana's return to full fitness coincides with the developments that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could miss all of the 2018-19 campaign as he continues his rehabilitation from knee ligament damage.
Oxlade-Chamberlain suffered the setback against Roma back in April, but the true timescale of his recovery only emerged last week because the 24-year-old did not want it distract his Liverpool teammates from their run towards the Champions League final.
"He's such a good kid," Lallana said. "We obviously knew the full extent of the injury, more or less, when it happened.
"We are friends, we are teammates and he wanted to keep it all in-house. He wanted us to focus on the Champions League final.
"That shows he is not just focused on himself and what is best for him. He wants what is best for the team and there are so many players with that mind-set in the squad. That is why we have been so successful.
"It is up to myself and the other lads to have a good season for him. It was the likes of him who had outstanding form in the Champions League and, as a result, I got to feature in the final.
"We are a team. When someone else is injured, they are the ones who motivate you. It's not just for yourself -- it's for them."