Liverpool Team News: Klopp Confirms Attacker Will Miss At Least Two More Games

Liverpool will be looking to get back to winning ways following last weeks disappointment at Bournemouth when they take on West Ham at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.

Ahead of the game, Jurgen Klopp has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference this afternoon and he’s offered Liverpoolfc.com an update on the fitness of Daniel Sturridge.

The striker has sat out Liverpool’s last three matches in all competitions after suffering a calf problem in training shortly before the Reds 2-0 victory over Sunderland at Anfield last month.

The good news is that Klopp has confirmed Sturridge is due to resume training with the rehab coach at Melwood today, however, the German coach also says they need to be patient with the 27-year-old and have no fixed comeback date set for the player.

The Liverpool manager has already ruled Sturridge out of Sunday’s clash with West Ham and the trip to Middlesbrough on Wednesday night but he hopes the attacker may be ready to make his return to face Everton the following weekend.

Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com:

“[We have] no real idea. Until now he didn’t train on the pitch – maybe today but it wasn’t 100 per cent clear yesterday.

“He will go out today on the pitch but that means starting the football work not with the team but only the rehab coach. I have no idea when he is back.”

The boss was then asked what he can do during the prolific forward’s lay-off and replied: “Nothing. Wait. That’s my job. [He is] not happy.

“That’s the life of football, you cannot force things, never. The name of the player or the quality of the player isn’t important, you have to wait as a manager until they’re back.

“Sometimes you have to wait a little bit longer because you decide – as we have done in the past – that a few days training would be nice before we start again.

“It’s not perfect in our situation with Phil [Coutinho] and Danny [out] but we can’t change it.”

“He [Sturridge] will be back as quickly as possible, but I have no idea at this moment. If he is not training with the team at the moment then we don’t have to think about him for West Ham, or think about him for Middlesbrough.

“Maybe [after] then but I have no idea! It would be nice [to have him back for Everton] but I really have no idea.”

We’ll have to wait and see how Sturridge progresses as he steps-up his recovery over the coming days but I’m sure the striker will be doing all he can to put himself in contention for the Merseyside derby later this month.

Klopp could certainly do with Sturridge being available as soon as possible as Philippe Coutinho isn’t expected to play again until the New Year due to an ankle injury so the Reds boss needs reinforcements in attack.

However, even if Sturridge was fit he may struggle to force his way in to Klopp’s starting eleven right now as Divock Origi has been in fine form in recent games having scored 3 goals in his last 3 appearances.