Liverpool football club have received a body blow in the form of Daniel Sturridge as the striker could be out for a month after suffering a hip injury.
The injury was thought to be a minor one, but scans have revealed that it could rule him out for a considerable amount of time. Sturridge was sent back to Liverpool from the England camp which gave rise to fears amongst the Liverpool fans that he could be on the sidelines for a few games.
The news could mean that Liverpool’s top four challenge might be all but over as the Merseysiders were beaten by rivals for the fourth spot Manchester United at Anfield this past Sunday and are now five points adrift. With tough fixtures coming up, the absence of someone like Sturridge could be too much to handle for the Liverpool strikeforce.
Sturridge has had a terrible season in terms of injuries as he has suffered as many as three types of injuries this campaign. The 25-year old suffered a thigh muscle strain in early September that ruled him out for a month and he missed six games in that period. He was set to return in November but suffered another setback in the form of a hamstring injury that ruled him out for nearly three months. In that period, Sturridge missed as many as 18 games for his side. After a season where he scored 22 times for Liverpool in the league, Sturridge was set to be their main striker this season. That hasn’t happened as his injuries have restricted him to just 11 Premier League appearances this season. In those games, Sturridge has managed to score just four times as he has failed to build the momentum that only happens when you play games on a regular basis.
With games coming up against Arsenal and Blackburn, the news is something that they could have done without. In his absence, we could see Raheem Sterling being re-deployed in the striker’s role or Mario Balotelli getting his chance.
England manager Roy Hodgson revealed that he was disappointed that Sturridge won’t be able to feature for the National side, a Ia m a little bit disappointed for Daniel Sturridge, because when he came to us he didna t really feel that the slight problem he felt was really any problem at all.
a When we did the scan and it turned out that there was a problem he was absolutely devastated, because he didna t want to leave us. There was no option because he has a slight tear and you cana t play through that.a