Liverpool, United Kingdom: Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge faces another month out after suffering a fresh injury on his return to training.
In another major setback to their Premier League and European ambitions, Sturridge’s hopes for a comeback against Queens Park Rangers on Sunday have been scuppered by a calf strain.
It is a blow to Brendan Rodgers, who has lacked his firepower for six weeks and must now rely on Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert to cover again.
Sturridge only returned to full training in the past week, and it was during a routine warm-up at Melwood on Thursday that he suffered his latest injury. He was previously out with a thigh strain, causing him to miss the last three England European Championship qualifiers and an erratic start to Liverpool’s season.
The 24-year-old, who recently signed a new Liverpool deal, will now miss Wednesday’s Champions League meeting with Real Madrid at Anfield, as well as Premier League fixtures against Hull City and Newcastle United.
A more optimistic assessment is Sturridge may be absent for just two weeks, which would give him an outside chance of making the return leg against Madrid on November 4. History shows the England striker’s recovery times tend to stretch to the limit, however.
