Reds can't rely on Sturridge anymore (ESPN article)

by Dave Usher for ESPN

I wrote something on Tuesday regarding Daniel Sturridge's impending return and what it meant for Liverpool. I went into a fair amount of detail on how his return to the line-up could transform the struggling Reds and breathe new life into some of his teammates who have suffered from his absence. Just when we thought he was back, news of his latest injury emerged, leaving Liverpool facing up to the cold reality they can no longer count on him.

Incredibly, this is the third time in as many months he's been injured in a training session. The original injury came while on international duty and Liverpool blamed Roy Hodgson for over-extending the player on what would normally have been a rest day. Brendan Rodgers made a compelling case as to why the England medical staff were wrong to make Sturridge do a full session two days after a game and Liverpool fans -- who rarely need much encouragement in this regard -- were furious with Hodgson.

Rodgers was left embarrassed six weeks later, however, when Sturridge suffered a calf strain just from warming up for a training session at Melwood. I'm afraid that one can't be pinned on Hodgson, or this latest one for that matter. Having returned to training last week, Sturridge was all set to feature against Crystal Palace this weekend but pulled up with pain in the same thigh he damaged with England. It seems Sturridge's problems run a whole lot deeper than being overworked by Hodgson.

Even if this latest scare turns out to be something minor, it has highlighted once gain just how precarious this whole Sturridge situation is. Liverpool need him, they rely on him -- and you can even say they're a bit of a mess without him. Yet they cannot count on him because the spectre of injury is always going to be looming. A lot of players are injury prone but this feels different somehow. It has to be extremely worrying for player and club as for whatever reason, Sturridge can no longer even get through training sessions unscathed, let alone the hurly burly of a competitive game.

Therefore, Liverpool need to plan for a future and indeed a present without him. That doesn't necessarily mean offloading him; it means they have to stop pinning their hopes on his return and start viewing it as a bonus any time he is available for selection. Sturridge should not be a factor in any transfer decisions made by Liverpool from now on. Admittedly there's an element of hindsight in this, but had Rodgers taken that approach last summer then he probably wouldn't be in this mess now.

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