Liverpool Team News: Rodgers Confirms Double Injury Boost + Sturridge Update

Liverpool will continue their push for the top four when they take on Sunderland at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.

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

The Reds boss confirmed that Philippe Coutinho will be available to face the Black Cats having not featured during Tuesday’s 3-1 win at Leicester City due to due to a minor knee injury.

Jose Enrique also sat out the clash at the King Power Stadium in midweek and Rodgers has explained that the club are managing the Spaniard’s game-time carefully due to an on-going knee problem, but he’ll be back in contention to face Sunderland this weekend.

Rodgers told the clubs website:

“Philippe Coutinho had a slight issue with his knee during the week but he should be OK for the weekend,”

“Jose Enrique is back in. We are having to manage Jose and his games, but he has trained and should be available for the weekend. Everyone else, it is as it was.”

Glen Johnson filled-in at left-back in midweek with Alberto Moreno among the subs but with Enrique now also back in the squad, Rodgers will have to decide who best to start at Afield this weekend.

However, one man who’s set to miss out again is Mario Balotteli. The striker is still nursing a groin injury that he picked up while away with the Italian national team last month but Rodgers is hopeful he’ll be back in action soon:

“He’s [Balotelli] working with the medical team on a daily basis. I trust the team of people here that look after the injuries. Hopefully he’ll be available sooner rather than later.”

The Northern Irishman has also given an update on the progress of Daniel Sturridge and revealed that the striker is ‘coming along well’ with his rehabilitation from a thigh injury that he suffered last month. Rodgers continued:

“He has gone away to get some work in, with some of our staff, doing specific work. He’s coming along well.”

With both Sturridge and Balotelli on the sidelines, it looks like Rickie Lambert will continue to lead the line with the striker scoring two goals in his last four games.

Liverpool head into the weekend action sitting eigth in the Premier League table after consecutive victories over Stoke and Leicester, so will be hoping to make it three in a row to continue their push for the top four.