30 Sept 2015

Bad News? Rodgers confirms 'amazing' £18m Liverpool star 'won't play' tomorrow and reveals why

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge is well and truly on the comeback trail, but after igniting Liverpool's season with two superb goals against Aston Villa, fans will have to wait until Sunday for the £18m striker's next game for the Reds.

In his pre-match press conference today, Brendan Rodgers confirmed that Sturridge will play no part in Thursday's Europa League clash with FC Sion:

"Daniel has worked very hard and come back ahead of schedule but we have to make sure we don't break him.

He wil play [against Sion], which will obviously keep him fresh for the game at the weekend [against Everton]".


Sturridge probably wants to play, but it's refreshing to see Rodgers erring on the side of caution.

We'll see how long that last. In the past, Sturridge has very quickly played three games in week after returning from injury.

If things go wrong for the Reds in the coming weeks, Rodgers may feel compelled to play Sturridge in every game in a bid to save his job.

Right now, Sturridge - - hailed as 'amazing' by Lucas Leiva over the weekend - should play a maximum of one game per week.

Any more than that is a giant risk, and the last thing Liverpool need is another injury to the club's most consistently effective attacking player.

The striker's return may also be a catalyst for Coutinho to improve.

The Brazilian needs players ahead of him who are on the same wavelength, and Sturridge certainly fits the bill.

Every time Sturridge plays, though, I expect him to pull up injured at some stage, and I just can't see him staying fit for an extended period of time.

Last season, for example: After returning from injury in January 2015, Sturridge managed just 9 starts before getting another long term injury.

Hopefully, he'll beat that record this season. Sturridge's absence last year contributed to the club's failure to qualify for the Champions League.

Another long-term injury this season will probably have the same effect,

Author: Jaimie K


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