The club should welcome back one excellent striker in a few weeks’ time
Brendan Rodgers has revealed Daniel Sturridge is close to a return to Liverpool’s first team following a successful spell of treatment in Boston during November and December. Rodgers told Sky Sports this morning, ‘Well he’s coming back, early January, into the country to finalise his rehab here. Hopefully he’ll be available, middle to end of January, to play.’
Rodgers has been steeled by his club’s recent winning run and insists there is no need to splash more of owner John W Henry’s cash next month. ‘My first look is always within (the squad),’ he said. ‘You’ve seen how we have adapted the team, and its structure, in order to make that work. I still think we have the players for us that can do that.
‘There won’t be much activity for us in January. We brought in a lot of players over the summer that we felt could develop. Those players are now starting to adapt to the life here at Liverpool and our way of working. There won’t be a lot of transfer activity from us, if any, over the course of the January window.’
Rodgers also believes there is a future for underperforming Italian striker Mario Balotelli at the club despite his comparison, today, to Andy Carroll during his unhappy spell warming Anfield’s home bench.
Rodgers commented, ‘The team functions in a certain way and we need a certain profile of player to make it work, as it has done over the last number of weeks.
‘I still think Mario has a contribution to make for us. He is working hard in training and wants to be the best he can be. Like I said, if he starts a game for us or from the bench, we will look for a contribution from him.’
