Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has returned to full training after surgery in the United States, the club have confirmed.
The England forward, who has endured a miserable year with injuries, scored just five times last season in 18 appearances as Liverpool failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
The 26 year old had extensive hip surgery in April and has been following a strict rehabilitation programme led by the medical team at the Boston Red Sox since.
Sturridge has now returned to the first team at Melwood Training Ground, with manager Brendan Rodgers hopeful of the front man making a full recovery after claiming he is the fittest he’s been in well over a year.
“He looked really sharp, probably the best he’s looked fitness-wise for 18 months”, the Liverpool boss told the BBC.
Rodgers was quick to emphasise the importance of his striker’s recovery in his press conference however, adding “I can never say that he is over the worst of his injuries because I don’t want to sit here and something happens in a couple of months’ time. I don’t want to put any timeline on him coming back.”
It had been touted that Sturridge could be in line for a shock recall to the first team for tomorrow’s crunch match against Manchester United in the Premier League.
However, it appears Liverpool will not be taking any chances with their talismanic forward and Sturridge is expected to miss out, once again leaving Christian Benteke and Danny Ings as the main strikers – following the departures of Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini, and Rickie Lambert this summer.
Liverpool are also likely to be without influential midfield men Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana for the trip to Old Trafford, with a foot injury and a thigh problem keeping them out of the squad respectively.
