Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge suffers another injury setback

Posted Wednesday, November 19, 2014 by theguardian.com

· Sturridge broke down with thigh injury in training on Tuesday
· Striker unlikely to play against Crystal Palace on Sunday

Daniel Sturridge has not played for Liverpool since getting injured on England duty in September.

Liverpool have been dealt yet another injury scare involving Daniel Sturridge after the striker pulled up in training with a thigh problem, the third fitness setback of a desperately trying season for the 25-year-old and his manager, Brendan Rodgers.

Sturridge had been in line to give Liverpool's attack a much-needed fillip by returning from a 10-week lay-off at Crystal Palace on Sunday. But, having been back in full training since last week, he suffered another thigh injury at Melwood and could be set for an extended spell on the sidelines as a consequence.

The full extent of the England international's latest injury is not known but Liverpool expect to discover the nature of the problem in the next 48 hours , but a further illustration of the brittle nature of his first choice striker may represent a major setback for Rodgers.

Liverpool stand 11th in the Premier League having suffered badly without the goals of Sturridge and Luis Suárez this season and face Ludogorets Razgrad in Bulgaria next week needing to win to stay in the Champions League.

Sturridge has made only three appearances for Liverpool this term, the latest coming in the 3-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur on 31 August that represented the side's most fluent performance so far. It was also the only occasion that Rodgers has been able to deploy summer signing Mario Balotelli in the same side as the source of 22 league goals for Liverpool last season.

The Liverpool striker then suffered a thigh injury during a full training session with England that both Sturridge and Rodgers felt was at odds with his individual recovery programme. That thigh problem kept the forward out for six weeks.

On his first full training session back from that injury he pulled a calf muscle that caused a further four-week absence, meaning Sturridge has missed 14 of Liverpool's 17 matches this season. Another extended lay-off, should test results confirm one is required, would leave Rodgers reliant on a strike-force that has consistently failed to impress this season.

Balotelli, Liverpool's £16m signing from Milan, has not scored in the Premier League for the Anfield club and has struggled to adapt to Rodgers' playing demands. Fellow summer signing Rickie Lambert is yet to score for his boyhood club since a £4.5m move from Southampton and Fabio Borini, who Liverpool tried unsuccessfully to sell in pre-season, has also failed to register. Raheem Sterling is the side's current leading goalscorer with three.

Midfielder Jordan Henderson is not thought to be a doubt for Sunday's trip to Selhurst Park despite England manager Roy Hodgson confirming he missed Tuesday night's friendly win over Scotland due to a slight hamstring problem. "He could have played, and wanted to play," said Hodgson.