Daniel Sturridge To Return To Liverpool After Rehab

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Daniel Sturridge last played for Liverpool in August, but is closing in on his Reds comeback.

Reds striker Daniel Sturridge has completed his rehabilitation in the USA, and will fly back to Liverpool within the next 24 hours, reports the Liverpool Echo.

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The 25 year-old has suffered from an injury prone season, with a thigh muscle strain sustained on international duty with England in September followed by a hamstring blow that has kept him on the sidelines.

That undoubtedly has affected our performances, with neither Mario Balotelli or Rickie Lambert convincing up front in Sturridge’s absence, resulting in Raheem Sterling being deployed up front.

While Sterling has grown into the role, it will be excellent to have Sturridge back up top for a number of reasons. Our best play last season was thanks to the scintillating combinations between Luis Suarez, Sterling and Sturridge, while it is easy to forget that Balotelli’s best performance since signing for was alongside the England forward up top in the 0-3 away victory at Tottenham Hotspur.

“[Sturridge is] at a very late stage in his recovery,” said a buoyant Brendan Rodgers in his press conference today.

“He’ll be back into the country in the next 24 hours, which is great, and then he’s into the final stages of that rehab. We’re looking forward to having him back.

“The work that he’s done in America has been fantastic. He’s been very well supported out there, he’s travelled about to get some of the best people in the world who specialise in his type of rehabilitation, and now he’ll come back and finish it off here.

“We’re hoping that at some point in January he’ll be ready to come back into the team and into the squad, and help us achieve something in the second part of the season.

“A couple of years ago he came in the January and made a big impact, and he’s been fantastic when he’s been fit here.

“He’s a top class player with wonderful qualities. You put him into any team and it makes them better. His pace is frightening, his touch, his movement, and he’s also improved the defensive part of his game, to press the ball. He does that very, very well.

“He’s at a great age, and if he can sustain that fitness, he’s shown what he can do. We’re hoping that he can stay fit, and lead the charge for us over the next few years.”

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