Daniel Sturridge is expected to make his long-awaited return to first-team training this weekend and is still hopeful of making his first Liverpool appearance of the new season against Manchester United on September 12.
Sturridge has undergone a successful rehabilitation process in the United States during the summer months and has recently taken to posting videos of his progress on his social media channels.
The 25-year-old, who underwent a hip operation in New York in May, has been assessed in Boston this week by our head of performance (Glen Driscoll) and head of physiotherapy (Chris Morgan) – who are, according to reports in The Guardian, confident that Sturridge is well on track.
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(Video) Daniel Sturridge continues encouraging training ground comeback
Sturridge, who suffered two thigh injuries, a calf strain and a hip problem last season as he was restricted to just seven Premier League starts, will be eased back into training before redoubling his efforts during the international break.
This all means that he could be missing in just two more Liverpool fixtures – away to Arsenal next Monday and at home to West Ham the following Sunday.
The news can only be greeted with excitement from Liverpool fans, but it will give manager Brendan Rodgers yet another selection headache as he debates how best to get the England international back into his team.
With new signing Christian Benteke starting the season well, Sturridge could be employed in a wide role or played alongside the big man to feed off his knock downs. We’ll have to wait and see!