Liverpool injury news: Is Sadio Mane out for the season?

Liverpool injury news: Sturridge could miss Arsenal and Man United

04 January

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge is still not ready for a first team comeback, despite tweeting over Christmas that he was "good to go". He will definitely miss the Capital One Cup semi-final clash with Stoke this week and is now a doubt for crunch games with Arsenal and Manchester United later this month.

The England forward has managed only 106 minutes of action since manager Jurgen Klopp took over at Anfield, and has not played since damaging his hamstring against Newcastle a month ago. He has also suffered knee and foot injuries in recent months.

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Klopp revealed at a press conference on Monday that he would not risk the player in matches until he was back training at full intensity, but admitted that the player had missed several sessions. The Germain manager also likened Sturridge's current regime to a pre-season conditioning programme.

"Maybe you have the feeling Daniel has been training with us for the last three weeks," said Klopp. "And every day he's fitter and fitter and fitter but it's not like this. Daniel has had some problems in these weeks - not serious but then he couldn't train or make the next session. When he's had a row of sessions, I will pick him.

"Daniel last had a complete pre-season in 2011. During that period we load bodies with strength. What we're doing now is trying to fill his body with energy."

Klopp's announcement has left observers fearing that Sturridge may be missing for some time. "Many had anticipated that Sturridge would be available for the first leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final at Stoke on Tuesday night but, the way things are looking, he might not even be ready for the crucial Barclays Premier League fixtures against Arsenal and Manchester United next week," says the Daily Mail.

Reds captain Jordan Henderson will also miss the game against Stoke with a heel problem, reveals the Daily Express.

Liverpool injury news: Sakho in for Lovren; no word on Sturridge

16 December

Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho could be fit for this weekend's clash with Watford after coming through a practice game in training.

The return of the Frenchman would be welcome news for Jurgen Klopp who will be without fellow centre-back Dejan Lovren for up to five weeks.

Lovren was injured in the fiery encounter with West Brom on Sunday, but Sakho is now in contention to replace him reports the Daily Star.

Sakho damaged his knee against Crystal Palace early last month, but fears that he had suffered significant ligament damage were unfounded.

Similar concerns over Lovren have also been allayed, reports the Daily Telegraph. The defender suffered a cut on his knee in a challenge with Craig Gardner at the weekend and initially the damage seemed significant.

"The Croatia international left Anfield on crutches and needed five stitches inserted into a deep cut but scans have revealed there is no long-term damage to the knee, which will provide manager Klopp with a huge lift," reports the paper.

Predictably, the news on Daniel Sturridge is less concrete. He suffered yet another injury setback when he strained his hamstring during the defeat to Newcastle and has so far played only a handful of games since Klopp took over.

Klopp said last week that he expected the striker to be back after around ten days, but there has been no word on whether Sturridge will be ready to face Watford.

However, the German manager has spoken about changing the striker's training regime to try and ensure he remains injury-free when he does make his latest comeback.

Liverpool injury news: Klopp rebuilds team without Sturridge

27 November

Daniel Sturridge has suffered yet another injury setback. Liverpool are now awaiting the results of a scan on the England striker's foot after he broke down hours before his latest comeback.

Sturridge has not played since Jurgen Klopp arrived at Anfield and has made only three appearances this season.

He had been due to play against Bordeaux in the Europa League, but now faces yet another spell on the sidelines, and many observers are starting to question his worth to the club.

"Since January 2, 2013 – the day Sturridge signed – he has missed 73 games, playing in just 70, with a plague of injuries leading to supporters questioning whether they can really rely on the striker," reports the Daily Mail.

The player's latest bout of injuries could prove to be the most costly to his career yet as Klopp rebuilds Liverpool without him. "He is yet to play for the new manager and a slowly-evolving side is passing him by," adds the Mail.

Sturridge's injury record is "truly abysmal" says The Guardian. "The Liverpool striker had trained for over a week following his recovery from a knee injury but complained of a sore foot shortly before kick-off."

It is the second time the player has pulled out of a game under Klopp. He had been due to play in the German's first game in charge against Spurs, but suffered a knee injury in training.

Although it was a minor knock it kept Sturridge out of the side for more than a month. It is unclear how long he will take to recover from his latest problem.

Liverpool injury news: Benteke back for Chelsea, Sturridge out

30 October

Jurgen Klopp has been given a boost after Liverpool striker Christian Benteke was declared fit for the Reds' game against Chelsea at the weekend.

The Belgian striker had been a doubt for the match and seemed set to join perennial crock Daniel Sturridge and fellow striker Danny Ings on the sidelines with a knee problem.

However, Klopp revealed on Friday that Benteke would be available to face the under-pressure Blues.

And his presence in the side could be critical, suggests the London Evening Standard. "The champions have struggled with physical forwards this season – both Andy Carroll and Graziano Pelle have scored in victories over Chelsea," it notes.

While Benteke has recovered, Klopp will be without Kolo Toure who was taken off during the League Cup clash with Bournemouth in midweek.

He is the latest player to join the Liverpool casualty list, which has grown alarmingly since Klopp's arrival. However, the German manager is unconcerned about the way the club handles its players.

"Klopp's first month in charge of the Reds has been hampered by a number of serious injuries to first-team players, leading to speculation that the German would oversee a change in the club's approach in the future," reports website This Is Anfield. "However, addressing these reports Klopp instead praised the work of his medical department."

He said the current problems had "nothing" to do with the medical department and insisted "rehab needs time", something that Sturridge has proved more than once during his time at Anfield.

Klopp also hinted that Jordan Henderson and Joe Flanagan were nearing a return.

Liverpool injury news: Benteke and Sturridge to miss Chelsea

28 October

Jurgen Klopp may have to wait until next month to name either of his two main strikers in the starting line-up as Christian Benteke joined Daniel Sturridge on the sidelines, days after making his comeback from a hamstring problem.

Both players will be unavailable for the League Cup clash with Bournemouth tonight and are now rated doubtful for the weekend game against Chelsea with knee problems.

With Danny Ings also out with a long-term knee injury, Klopp's only attacking option is 20-year-old Divock Origi, unless he plays Roberto Firmino as a centre forward.

Benteke's latest injury is not expected to keep him out for long. The £32.5m striker "tweaked ligaments" in training reports the Daily Telegraph. But the paper adds that "the knock is not as serious as initially feared when the Belgian was sent for a scan on Tuesday".

Sturridge also has a knee problem and has yet to play under Klopp, who has once again been forced to rule out a "swift return" for the injury-prone England international, says the Liverpool Echo.

Klopp has "insisted his fragile striker's latest problem will not require surgery", although Liverpool fans will blanche at the very mention of an operation after seeing how an apparently inocuous injury last season kept the striker out for the whole campaign.

Sturridge's inability to overcome minor niggles is starting to rankle with some of the Liverpool fraternity, and former Reds striker David Fairclough told Talksport that the forward had to "work on his attitude and desire".

Klopp however, appeared unconcerned. "He can walk, he can swim but that's not enough for playing football," he explained. "There's fluid in the knee, not too much, that's why we can say it's not serious."

Sturridge injury: Liverpool boss Klopp plays down fitness fears

20 October

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has moved to quash fears that Daniel Sturridge will never return to full fitness, after the footballer was withdrawn from his first squad amid concerns that his injury curse had returned.

The England striker, who has spent most of the last year sidelined with a string of problems, was left out of the 0-0 draw against Spurs with a swollen knee.

Klopp explained that although it only appears to be a minor problem caused by a clash with Jordan Ibe in training, he was not prepared to risk the player in the same week as two other first team players, Joe Gomez and Danny Ings, were ruled out with long-term knee injuries.

When news of Sturridge's absence broke on Saturday, fans reacted with "dismay" on hearing of "another potential setback", reports the Liverpool Echo. But Klopp explained: "In another situation I would have talked to him and said, 'please try [to play]'. But we can't in a week of two ACL injuries. Come on."

The Liverpool boss added that he had "100 per cent" trust in Sturridge and said that he had been "outstanding" in training up until the knock.

Not everybody shares Klopp's faith in the injury-prone striker. "Sturridge's injury misfortune has been unrelenting," reports Chris Bascombe of the Daily Telegraph. "He sustained a series of muscle problems last season which were eventually traced to a hip complaint. He underwent surgery in the United States last spring in an effort to rid himself of chronic calf and thigh issues."

Bascombe added: "His absence on Saturday is being attributed solely to bad luck and poor timing but his appearance record – 94 Premier League starts at the age of 26 – has created a reputation for absenteeism."

Sturridge has become something of a "forgotten man" for club and country because of his unreliability, says The Times, and Klopp's "pragmatic, understanding approach will not prevent the doubts" that surround him.

"Significantly, the England manager admitted that he does not feel able to offer Sturridge any guarantees about his status within the national squad before next summer’s European Championship finals because of how long he has been unavailable."

Meanwhile, former Liverpool defender John Arne Riise has suggested that Sturridge may need to adapt to play Klopp's preferred pressing game and "step up his work rate".

The Norwegian footballer made the comments in a Twitter Q&A, reports the Daily Mirror, but later tried to pacify angry fans who took his remarks as a criticism of the player.