Liverpool Team News: Rodgers Offers Update On Sturridge, Allen + More

Liverpool will look to bounce back from their Champions League disappointment when they entertain West Brom on Saturday afternoon.

Ahead of the game boss Brendan Rodgers has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference and gave Liverpoolfc.com a team news and injury update.

Reds fans are desperate for some positive news on the fitness of Daniel Sturridge with the striker sorely missed during the five games he’s already missed with a thigh injury that he picked up while away with the England squad last month.

However, it looks like the 25-year-old is still touch-and-go to be available this weekend with Rodgers revealing that at this moment in time, the striker is unlikely to be in contention but they’ll give him every opportunity to prove his fitness.

The Liverpool manager also confirmed that none of the clubs other injured players will return to face West Brom meaning Joe Allen, Emre Can, Jon Flanagan, Glen Johnson and Mamadou Sakho all remain on the sidelines.

Rodgers told the clubs website:

“At this moment in time, there is no-one new to come back into the squad,” Rodgers explained, before adding specifically about Sturridge: “We’ll have to wait and see.”

Rodgers then gave special praise to Allen – who’s been out with a knee injury that he too picked up while away on international duty at the start of September – with the Reds supremo insisting the Welshman has been badly missed, but they hope he’ll be fit again after the upcoming international break.

He continued:

“In this period it certainly has. He’s [Allen] a player that never gets mentioned, or very rarely.

“He’s a player that very rarely turns over the ball, he always loves the football and he gets other people playing. The key feature for Joe on top of that is his intensity and pressure – he presses the game really well.

“He is a very intelligent footballer; tactically, he’s outstanding in the game. And we’ve really missed his energy and quality since he’s been out injured.

“He’ll be back after the international break – it’s too soon this weekend. But hopefully he’ll be back for the Queens Park Rangers game.”

Liverpool head into the game off the back of a poor run of form, with the Merseysiders last Premier League victory coming against Spurs back on August 31st while they lost away at Basel in the Champions League last night, so Rodgers will be desperate to get their season back on track this weekend.