After Liverpool enjoyed a favorable 2-2 result against Arsenal on Sunday, the name that surfaced during post-game press conference was, unsurprisingly, injured striker Daniel Sturridge, who was so vital to the Red’s attack last season alongside Luis Suarez.
When Liverpool’s 2013/14 year had concluded in great fashion, Sturridge had set a career-high goal total, 24 scores in all 33 competitions, and many looked to the burgeoning finisher to make up for the high-money departure of Luis Suarez to Barcelona.
However, the former Chelsea forward only made three caps for manager Brendan Rogers since the start of the season, before he suffered a substantial thigh problem in November while playing internationally with England.
Although misfortune has plagued the Sturridge, his return hangs in the near future, as Rodgers was able to give a fairly definite timeline of his rehabilitation process, which looks to have him back in early January.
[RELATED: Sturridge to have Boston Red Sox doctors work on him]From Goal.com: “That [comeback] will probably be just after the Christmas period. The first phase of his rehab was out in LA where we did some specific work with him there.
“He’s gone to Boston to pick up the next stage, then he’ll move on again to a specialist facility out there and hopefully in the early part of the new year he’ll be back and be somewhere close to being fit and playing. At some stage in January, we’ll look to get Dan back. That will be really exciting for this team.”Rogers also told The Telegraph that having Sturridge back on the pitch could allow his squad to break into the top four from their current 10th place standing. This ascension would certainly cast a positive light on the 2013 LMA Manager of the Year, and in the season’s long run, would foil doubters of the Reds’ capabilities.