Rodgers must shuffle his pack as title closes in (ESPN article)

by Dave Usher for ESPN

After doing the club, the city and the families proud with a moving speech at the Hillsborough 25th memorial service on Tuesday, Brendan Rodgers now returns to the task of trying to bring the Premier League title to Anfield and of preparing his side for Sunday’s trip to struggling Norwich City.

Last weekend’s epic victory over Manchester City put the Reds in the box seat in the race for the Premier League crown but it came at a cost as Jordan Henderson was lost to a three-match suspension, while there is a big injury concern over the hamstrung Daniel Sturridge.

Both have been integral to what Liverpool have done this season; Sturridge is the country’s second-leading marksman behind team-mate Luis Suarez, while Henderson had been an ever-present until that late rush of blood earned him a red card against City. Liverpool do have other options but it’s a far from ideal situation for Rodgers with just four games remaining.

Henderson’s replacement is a straight choice between Lucas Leiva and Joe Allen. The Welshman appears most likely to get the nod having been involved semi-regularly in recent months and given a good account of himself whenever called upon. He played alongside Henderson in those games but would now have the job of replacing him. They’re very different players of course, but Allen can play the same role that Henderson has filled to such great effect this season; he’ll just do it a little differently.

Lucas is another option, having filled in for the unwell Allen at West Ham recently when he was brought off the bench at half-time to play on the right of a midfield diamond. It was an unfamiliar role for the Brazilian but he surprisingly excelled in it. He’ll be pushing hard for a recall, having not started a game since injuring his knee in January, and Rodgers knows that he can rely on either or both of Allen and Lucas to do a job for the team.

The only crumb of comfort with Henderson’s absence is at least Rodgers knows exactly how many games his all-action midfield man will miss and can plan accordingly. With Sturridge it’s less than clear at the moment as the medical staff assess the extent of the damage suffered to his hamstring. “A bit of tightness” was how Rodgers described it. That doesn’t sound too bad, I suppose, but it’s very rare to see a player leave the field with any kind of hamstring injury and then be available for the following week, so it would therefore be a big surprise to see Sturridge taking the field at Carrow Road this weekend. Beyond that, Liverpool just have to hope he’s back sooner rather than later, ideally in time for the visit of his former club Chelsea to Anfield.

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