Although he’s not realistically expected to play much of a part — if any at all — when Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday for the second leg of their League Cup semi-final with the Blues, returning striker Daniel Sturridge will be given a late fitness test just in case.
The 25-year old, who has been out since the end of August with a various array of muscle injuries, is set to return to full training on Sunday ahead of West Ham United’s trip to Anfield at the weekend. While the clash with the Hammers looks to be the more likely of the two matches for Sturridge to feature in, Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers refused to rule out his star man playing at least a small role in Tuesday’s trip to the Capital.
“He starts training tomorrow with the team. He’s in his final rehabilitation with the medical and sports science guys today” explained the Northern Irishman following the scoreless draw with Championship side Bolton Wanderers in yesterday’s FA Cup meeting. “He joins in with the group now and it’s just about getting football fitness and game fitness. We’ll see how he is for Tuesday. If he’s not ready for Tuesday then he’ll be back, for sure, against West Ham next weekend.”
Despite a tactical reshuffle setting Liverpool back on a good run of form, the Reds have struggled to find the back of net without Sturridge in the side. Raheem Sterling, preferred up front to the Anfield outfits more established crop of strikers, has done admirably in an unfamiliar role, but one only needs to look to yesterday’s draw with the Trotters to see that an attacker with Sturridge’s predatory instincts would have buried at least one of the host of chances that were created.
If all goes well, we’ll get to see him do it in the replay…
