Daniel Sturridge in danger of falling down pecking order as Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers reveals plans to sign new striker

Home Top

JAMIE CARRAGHER: Don't get fooled again, Arsene... you'll need more to challenge Chelsea and launch a title assault next season
Hamilton remains Britain's richest sports star with £88m fortune but Rooney leapfrogs Button into second
England struggle with placid pitch on day four in Grenada as second West Indies Test looks set to be drawn
Beauty against the beast! Arsenal look to end bad run but Mourinho is king when it comes to winning
Van Gaal backs Giggs to succeed him at United... because he works like Chelsea boss Mourinho!
United offer De Gea £200,000-a-week deal in bid to keep him at Old Trafford
Sturridge in danger of falling down Anfield pecking order as Rodgers reveals plans to sign new striker
Sunderland branded 'disgraceful' for allowing Johnson to play against Stoke despite child sex charges
Hazard was too expensive... Arsenal could not afford him, admits Wenger
MAROUANE FELLAINI: I lost my quality for one year, and now it's back? Bulls***!
West Ham 2-1 Man City: Vieira's stars fall to defeat with an Drury own goal
Man United target £20.5m summer swoop for highly-rated Gundogan
Why Isco's rant suggests he now regrets snubbing City for Madrid... and now England could beckon again
Fabregas chose Chelsea over Arsenal to win trophies, says Mourinho in another dig at Wenger
Tottenham willing to let Adebayor leave on a free transfer
Arsenal star Coquelin wants to show Matic he's the real enforcer
Iron man McCoy chases Hollywood ending aboard Box Office on final day in the saddle
'Shoot me if I ride professionally again', vows retiring McCoy as Racing Post produces stunning farewell cover
ANDREW THORNTON: Watching McCoy is a bit like watching Messi riding a horse... he finds so much time
As he bids farewell at Sandown... here are McCoy's 10 finest moments
Sam Turner's Racing Tips: All the best bets for Saturday, April 25
Hamilton makes flying visit to Rome as F1 star looks set for cameo in Zoolander 2
Klitschko recalls his rise to the top ahead of latest title defence against Jennings
MARTIN KEOWN: Chelsea may be favourites but don't underestimate Wenger... he plays to win!

Brendan Rodgers has stated his intent on purchasing a forward
The Liverpool boss wants a top forward who can 'play every week'
Daniel Sturridge has made just 12 Premier League appearances
Rodgers is keen on signing Danny Ings and Memphis Depay

Published: 16:31 EST, 24 April 2015 | Updated: 19:07 EST, 24 April 2015

View
comments

Daniel Sturridge's status as Liverpool’s No 1 striker is under threat after Brendan Rodgers revealed his intention to sign a top forward who can “play every week”.

The England international will be absent once again on Saturday at The Hawthorns, as he continues to be plagued by a hip problem and Rodgers admitted he is “unsure” as to whether Sturridge will play for Liverpool again this season.

It has been a nightmare year for Liverpool in terms of goals. They had 88 after 32 matches last season but now, at the same stage, their total is 47 and not one of their players feature in the top 25 leading scorers in the Barclays Premier League.

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge is in danger of falling down the pecking order due to his poor injury record

Sturridge (left, pictured with Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard) has played just 12 league games this season

England international Sturridge has been hampered by injuries during the course of the campaign

Sturridge has also endured a nightmare campaign. He missed five months due to calf and thigh issues and has struggled for consistency in the games he has managed to play. His length of time out has been extreme but history shows absences are not uncommon in his career.

If Liverpool are to get back to where Rodgers wants them to be, they need goals. Divock Origi will arrive this summer, while they are trying to sign Danny Ings from Burnley and have registered a firm interest in PSV Eindhoven’s Memphis Depay.

But they are not going to be the peak of Liverpool’s ambitions and Rodgers is searching for a proven attacker who will be able to call on consistently.

When asked how many strikers he wanted to sign, Rodgers said: ‘I’m not sure but I need one that is going to be playing at a top level every week. It can make a huge difference. If you look at teams who are successful they have that – a consistent striker.

‘What that gives the rest of team is crucial. You saw it here with Suarez, the impact that kind of striker can have. But it is something that is not easy to find. We have to find a way to attract them here. We will fight hard to do in the summer. We are on course to be 60 goals down on last year.’

Sturridge picked up this latest injury on March 22 against Manchester United. England manager Roy Hodgson described it as “a small tear” after he was ruled out of games against Lithuania and Italy and it was a source of frustration to Liverpool that he missed last Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final.

Ronald de Boer: Memphis Depay can be the new Cristiano Ronaldo

Liverpool boss Rodgers is keen on signing Burnley striker Danny Ings (left) and PSV's Memphis Depay (right)

Belgium striker Divock Origi, pictured during his loan spell at Lille, will return to Liverpool in the summer

Rodgers was asked if he felt the stage had been reached where he no longer considers Sturridge to be his first choice striker and he said: ‘Listen, that’s entirely for you to write. He’s not fit and once he can show that consistency and fitness, you can see in his performance level that it’s a high one.

‘But he has missed lot of the season, so we need to assess it. Either way if he’ s not available, we need to have that support. There always is that risk with those type of players, with their speed and body type, but we have to hope with Daniel this year was just an unlucky season.

‘We hope he can come back super-fit and super-strong because he has an immense talent. You can’t argue with that – he can be as good as any striker in the world with his talent.’