Another day, another injury setback for Daniel Sturridge. The Liverpool striker is set for a further spell on the sidelines after scans revealed the 26-year-old suffered a hamstring strain during Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Newcastle United.
Sturridge appeared only as a 62nd-minute substitute at St James’s Park, with manager Jürgen Klopp wanting to ease the injury-prone forward back towards full fitness. He had played for 59 minutes of the 6-1 win at Southampton in the Capital One Cup quarter-final four days earlier, giving a reminder of his outstanding quality in front of goal with two fine finishes, and started on the bench at St James’s Park as a precaution.
The striker reported a problem with the hamstring following Sunday’s brief appearance. The England international was sent for a scan on Tuesday and a strain was confirmed. Liverpool have not put a timescale on his absence but he is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks. Given Sturridge’s track record of slow recoveries from injury, he could be absent over the demanding festive period too.
The strain is just the latest in a long line of fitness problems that have plagued the former Manchester City and Chelsea forward throughout his career. It is the third injury Sturridge has suffered in Klopp’s brief reign as Liverpool manager alone. He missed the first seven games of his tenure with a knee problem sustained in a training ground collision with Jordon Ibe plus the Europa League win over Bordeaux with a foot injury.
The striker was also absent for the first six games of the season under Brendan Rodgers as he recovered from a hip operation that was supposed to address his fitness issues for the long-term.
Klopp had cautioned that minor injuries were expected after so long on the treatment table – Sturridge has been available for almost half of Liverpool’s games since he arrived at Anfield for £12m in January 2013 – but his continued absence represents a severe blow to the German coach.
Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino were withdrawn in the second half at Newcastle having failed to produce the intense pressing game that Klopp demands from his team, with Philippe Coutinho also absent with a hamstring injury.
Coutinho is nearing a return but the Liverpool manager will certainly be without Sturridge for Europa League visit to Sion and Sunday’s Premier League home game against West Bromwich Albion, with future games dependent on the striker’s recovery. – Guardian Service
