STURRIDGE KO
Liverpool shock as star faces another five months out
DANIEL STURRIDGE suffered a devastating blow yesterday as it emerged he could be out until October.
The Liverpool striker had surgery on his left hip on Tuesday in New York but the severity of the problem means the 25-year-old will not be able to resume full training for four months.
This latest prognosis is a huge setback for Sturridge and boss Brendan Rodgers, piling pressure on Liverpool to sign a top- class striker this summer.
Sturridge’s recovery will rule him out of the big kick-off on August 8 and four England games.
It is possible he will not play in the Premier League until the beginning of October. The surgery, which was performed by Dr Bryan T Kelly, has been deemed a complete success by Liverpool’s medical staff as it addressed a problem believed to be linked to Sturridge suffering so many issues with a thigh muscle.
Having been beaten to the signing of £25million Memphis Depay by Manchester United, Liverpool will have to redouble their efforts to bring in a striker to provide the firepower they have lacked this season.
Liverpool have a move lined up for Burnley’s Danny Ings and promising Belgium international Divock Origi will move to Anfield this summer after completing a year on loan at Lille, but Rodgers
will need to recruit a high-class, experienced forward as well. It has been a year to forget for Sturridge. When the campaign ends, he will have missed 41 of Liverpool’s 58 games and only started seven matches because of a recurring thigh problem before the hip issue occurred in a game against Manchester United on March 22. Sturridge was resigned to missing England’s summer internationals against the Republic of Ireland and Slovenia but there is now no chance of him playing in the Euro 2016 qualifiers against San Marino (September 5) and Switzerland (September 8). Liverpool will not rush Sturridge back so there must also be doubt over his availability for England’s games against Estonia (October 9) and Lithuania (October 12). If Liverpool finish in the top four this season, he would also miss the Champions League play-offs at the start of next season. Steven Gerrard, meanwhile, hopes he will be able to return to Liverpool one day. Gerrard could come back to Anfield on loan from LA Galaxy next winter and in an interview with Liverpool’s official magazine he said: ‘I will be playing in another league and getting to see a great country like America. ‘At the same time, I know these final few weeks will be tough. I don’t know what is going to happen after my last game at Anfield. It will be a hugely emotional day. My relationship with Liverpool doesn’t end. I’m hoping I’ll return to the club in some capacity one day.’