Daniel Sturridge out until new year as Liverpool open ‘investigation’ into injury history

LIVERPOOL striker Daniel Sturridge will not play again this year after breaking down with another injury to his left thigh.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 25: Daniel Sturridge of Liverpool reacts during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on August 25, 2014 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

LIVERPOOL striker Daniel Sturridge will not play again this year after breaking down with another injury to his left thigh, extending the England international’s long spell out of the team.

Sturridge, who has not played since August 31 because of injury, tore a muscle in training on earlier this week.

“I spoke to him today and he was as down as I have seen anyone, in terms of not being able to help the team,” Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said.

Liverpool has opened what it described as an “investigation” into Sturridge’s injury issues, with the striker having been sidelined because of left thigh problem nine times.

Daniel Sturridge hasn’t played since late August.

“Now is the time for him and us to go away to see what more we can do to get him onto the pitch consistently because he is a world-class talent,” Rodgers said.

“We’re going to look across his time as a player, and a young player, to see where we can find ways to get him out there playing.”

Sturridge suggested in a recent radio interview that his injury problems could be hereditary because his father, who was a trainee at Birmingham, and uncles Dean and Simon, who were both professional footballers, also had similar issues.

Sturridge was the second in Premier League scoring last season, behind former teammate Luis Suarez, and Liverpool has struggled in his absence.

Their three other strikers - Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert - have not scored a league goal between them.

Originally published as Daniel Sturridge out until new year as Liverpool open ‘investigation’ into injury history