Daniel Sturridge has returned to full-time training after recovering from his ankle injury, less than two weeks before the start of the new league season.
The Liverpool striker suffered the injury in an England international back in May and has so far missed all of the Reds’ pre-season games.
However, the 23-year-old looked “sharp” in training on Monday, according to manager Brendan Rodgers.
In an open training session held at Anfield for club members and season ticket holders, Sturridge trained with his teammates fully for the first time this summer.
“Thankfully Daniel had his first training session today with the team and I thought he looked very, very sharp,” Rodgers told the club’s official website.
“He obviously had an injury at the end of the season which set him back, but he’s worked very hard along with the medical guys who have done a great job with him.
“It’s a great testament to him he’s kept himself fit and it was just waiting for the right time to introduce him.”
Liverpool have two pre-season friendlies left before they kick off the new Premier League campaign at home to Stoke City on August 17th.
They face Norwegian side Valerenga this Wednesday, but Rodgers says targeting Sturridge’s return to action for the next game, against Celtic in Dublin on Saturday, 10th August will be a more realistic ambition.
He added, “The game on Wednesday will probably be too much for him so we’ll look towards the weekend.
“It’s important he has another good week’s training and it was great to see him back today, because for me he can be one of the top strikers in the Premier League this season.
“He’s played no part in the pre-season so you put him in at the top end of the field with his pace, power and his quality and we are able to add something more to the group as well.
“So it all bodes well for us for the beginning of the season and sets us up nice and solid and exciting for the first game.”
Luis Suarez was also involved in the training session in front of the Kop, and, contrary to some reports, did applaud the fans at the start of the session.
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