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Sturridge’s injury a cause for worry and opportunity

By on November 19, 2014

Daniel Sturridge has actually not played for Liverpool since August and very may well not play for them, or England for that matter, until 2015 after suffering yet another injury on international duty.  In early September, he was kept out until mid-October via a thigh strain suffered while training with England, then kept out until mid-November with another tweak just after returning, and finally, once he made it back to full fitness and was called up to England’s squad over the past fortnight, yet again returned too early, which, you bet, has sidelined him until late December.  In is near time that he and Liverpool find some luck, supporters are pleading. 

Luis Suarez, their top scorer for the three seasons previous, just left in the summer, and Sturridge, whom the Uruguayan combined with to make the highest scoring, deadliest duo in the Premier League last season, is now also out.  Only Manchester City edged Liverpool in goals last season, by one goal at that, largely due to the pair’s contribution, and the Reds finished with thirty goals more than any other side.  Now, with both Sturridge and Suarez having been gone for so long and Mario Balotelli failing to find his form, Liverpool are in the bottom half of the Premier League table nearly a third of the season in, having scored just half of the goals that league leaders Chelsea have at this point.  It is fair to say Stuirrdge’s most recent injury will be detrimental to any slim hopes Liverpool had left of keeping the second placed league finish they had last season, or even Champions League position.

There appear no bright sides to any of this for the club, and believe me, it is hard to spot one.  However, if you cast your mind back to when Sturridge joined Liverpool, you would remember that Suarez was given a ten match ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic shortly afterwards.  It was not for this reason that Sturridge was signed for Liverpool, but the ex-Chelsea forward only found his best form and consistency when Suarez was missing.  Suarez’s absence in part helped Sturridge grow at Liverpool and eventually likely boosted the relationship they would form on the pitch.

Liverpool didn’t buy Balotelli to replace an injured Sturridge, though Balotelli’s deadline day signing came just a few days before Sturridge’s initial injury.  In an ideal world, Balotelli would have taken this as his opportunity to shine and make himself a starter and perhaps star for Liverpool.  Then, as Sturridge came back, they could possibly form a strong partnership.  This, of course, hasn’t yet happened as Balotelli has failed to score a single league goal for Liverpool in nine appearances, though it still could.  More reasonably, though, Sturridge’s extended injury will prompt Liverpool to look for another replacement in January.  The backpages say that Brendan Rodgers could be eyeing the incredibly promising Belgian World Cup starlet Divock Origi.

If Rodgers does sign a new forward come January, or if Balotelli belatedly finds his form, it will be partly because of Sturridge’s injury, as was when Sturridge found his form when Suarez was out.  As much as Sturridge’s injuries will hamper Liverpool, they could also open exciting new doors for them.

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.