Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has undergone surgery on a hip problem in the United States.
The 25-year-old’s season had effectively been ended once the decision was made to send him to America for further investigation into his ongoing injury issues which have seen him miss the majority of this season.
However, after undergoing surgery in New York the England international will now begin a programme of recovery and rehabilitation.
“Just want to let the world know I’ve had a successful operation on my hip today and I want to thank God for allowing that to be possible,” Sturridge wrote on Instagram.
“Onwards and upwards from here. Thanks for the support.” He added on Twitter: “Today was a big day for me…Thank you Jesus. Hip operation was successful. Road to recovery starts today!!”
It is the second time this season Sturridge, who has made just 12 starts and six substitute appearances, scoring only five goals, has travelled to the States in an attempt to solve his ongoing fitness issues.
Towards the end of a five-month absence with a thigh problem sustained on international duty in early September, which was followed by a calf strain, he was dispatched across the Atlantic where he spent 10 days in Los Angeles as part of his rehabilitation.
He then flew back to the east coast to work with the medical staff at baseball side Boston Red Sox, the other major sporting venture of Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group.
After spending some time there he then travelled to the west coast to continue his rehabilitation in California, eventually returning to England where he made his comeback as a substitute in the 2-0 win at West Ham on January 31.
However, injury problems returned – this time associated with his hip – and he has not featured for a month since playing 85 minutes of the FA Cup quarter-final replay at Blackburn.
Last week manager Brendan Rodgers said they believed they had made a breakthrough in the diagnosis of Sturridge’s injuries – which the player has previously suggested may be hereditary – which was why they were sending him away.
“I think we have found some underlying issues that maybe relate to Daniel’s issues and problems this season and the ongoing problems he’s had so the medical team here, liaising with some of the medics in America, are doing everything we possibly can to give Daniel every opportunity to stay consistently fit and available,” he said on Friday.
“It is just unfortunate for him. If you look at his career he’s had little issues along the way but when we brought him here we knew we wanted to give him every chance to be one to the top goalscorers in Europe.
“We have to do everything we can to get him on the training field and into the game, hence the reason for looking into the issue.”
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