Liverpool’s manager Brendan Rodgers has criticised England’s treatment of his star striker Daniel Sturridge after the goalscoring sensation reported back from international duty carrying a knock that he picked up in a training session after the friendly match against Norway, as reported by the Daily Star.
Sturridge managed to complete the friendly game against Norway, but a training session only 36 hours after his 89 minute excursion at Wembley saw him strain a thigh, and to Liverpool’s detriment, the striker is now expected to miss a couple of weeks of action.
England manager Roy Hodgson was using the training session to prepare his side for the game against Switzerland, which was England’s first Euro 2016 qualifier, but Rodgers feels as though the national team managed Sturridge poorly, and that with better treatment, Sturridge would not have reported back injured.
Rodgers said: “The only disappointment for us was Daniel Sturridge coming back injured as he had started the season very well.
“We’re obviously disappointed because we feel it was an injury which could have been prevented.
“It’s more the recovery strategy. When we look at our players here we look at them individually in terms of what their needs are.
“Fast players would have a second day recovery while other players can work on that day.
“When you are that type of quick player like Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling and boys like Danny Welbeck you need to recover them.
“He [Sturridge] has worked so hard over pre-season and looked very fit and strong in our last game against Tottenham.”
Liverpool are lucky that they chose to sign Mario Balotelli towards the end of the transfer window, and the onus is now on the ex-AC Milan striker to reach his potential while Sturridge is absent.
