Daniel Sturridge is back on the shelf.
Sturridge strained his hamstring Sunday during Liverpool’s 2-0 Premier League loss to Newcastle, according to The Telegraph’s Chris Bascombe, The Liverpool Echo’s James Pearce and The Guardian’s Andy Hunter. Sturridge alerted Liverpool’s medical staff about the ailment following his 30-minute appearance against Newcastle. He underwent a scan Tuesday, and results confirmed he had strained the muscle but not torn it.
Liverpool hasn’t put a timetable on Sturridge’s return, and the reports predict he’ll be out “for weeks.” Sturridge likely will miss at least three weeks of action, which could include all of the Reds’ games over the festive period.
A litany of injuries have limited Sturridge to just 24 appearances — or 30 percent of Liverpool’s games — since the start of last season.
Sturridge’s absence leaves Christian Benteke and Divock Origi as the only healthy strikers in Liverpool’s first team. Roberto Firmino has played as a make-shift center forward in recent weeks, giving manager Jurgen Klopp another viable option.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@SkyFootball
