Football
ESPN staff 9y

Daniel Sturridge soon back to his best for Liverpool, says Brendan Rodgers

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers believes Daniel Sturridge will be close to being fully fit by the end of this week and on the brink of hitting top form again.

Sturridge, 25, missed five months of the season after being injured on England duty in early September, but has now made nine first team appearances -- including 105 minutes in the Europa League at Besiktas last Thursday -- since returning.

Rodgers believes the Europa League has helped Sturridge get back up to full fitness quicker, though the Reds are now out of European competition for this campaign after losing to the Turkish side on penalties.

A change in system has led to a fine run of form as Liverpool have transformed their season from one of disappointment to hope -- they now sit fifth in the Premier League table three points behind Arsenal in third and two adrift of Manchester United in the final Champions League berth.

Sunday's 2-1 win at home to Manchester City was the latest watershed moment in a season which at one stage looked at write-off. And the Rodgers believes he will now have Sturridge back to his best for the run-in.

"Daniel is not fully fit yet and it is difficult for him because these are not training games for him to get fit," Rodgers said. "He's excited by the new system. Put a fully fit Daniel Sturridge into that system and it lights it up again.

"Come the end of this week Daniel be on a great run and able to play every game and be able to train.

"He wasn't quite ready for the Premier League so then we were trying to fit him in in games.

"The Europa League was a great chance to get some game time into him, but after five months out and with his history here that was something we had to think of.

"The last thing we wanted to do was break him. He felt good on Sunday on the back of playing Thursday. He's very determined to play and when you see a fully fit Daniel, he will be brilliant."

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