Daniel Sturridge‘s injury has now been confirmed as a grade 2 thigh strain, ruling him out for at least six weeks according to most reports.
As Liverpool and manager Brendan Rodgers now face what will likely be another 11 games at least with Sturridge, adding to the 14 he’s already missed, reports in the media hint at Rodgers being unhappy with the situation.
It began when talkSPORT presenter Alan Brazil, a friend of Rodgers’, said on Wednesday that staff at Anfield are “getting just a little bit fed up of what is going on there with Sturridge”.
When asked for more, Brazil said “I think Brendan is very, very upset… I mean, what is going on here? Why is he (Sturridge) always injured?”
This is followed up by The Times‘ Rory Smith writing of “exasperation” among Rodgers’ staff at Sturridge’s progress.
Smith explains that Sturridge’s first two injuries (both grade 1 strains) would usually require 12 to 20 days’ rest, but Sturridge “needed twice that for the thigh strain and a month, more or less, for the calf problem. On both occasions, the striker was told by the club’s medical team that he was ready to train before he felt he was.”
Sturridge, who last month told an interview that he felt his problems may be “hereditary” clearly feels he is vulnerable to injuries and isn’t willing to put himself out there until he feels he is 100% fit.
Rodgers is seemingly becoming frustrated at the 25-year-old’s slow progress and mindset with regards his injuries.
More reaction from the broadsheets sees The Telegraph‘s Liverpool correspondent Chris Bascombe write: “It has reached the point where Rodgers might as well presume Sturridge is not coming to the rescue any time soon and, by the time we do see him back in a Liverpool shirt, there may not be much left to play for unless there is a radical upturn in form.”
Worryingly, Rory Smith writes that “Sturridge’s continuing troubles are unlikely to force Liverpool’s hand in the transfer market when it reopens in January, hoping that, by that stage, Sturridge will have returned to full fitness to supplement their other attacking options.”
Although, Bascombe claims to the contrary: “Liverpool insist the money is there if it is required. If that is the case, it is inconceivable it won’t be used, even if this will be interpreted as public acceptance serious errors were made in the summer.”
There are, however, reports that The Reds will look to bring in Divock Origi from Lille early. The Mirror rather speculatively claim it would cost them £5 million to do so. The Liverpool Echo say it would be more like £3 million, which seems more appropriate.
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