Daniel Sturridge fitness: Jurgen Klopp reveals omission was precaution as Roy Hodgson confirms Liverpool striker remains in England plans
The striker played no part in the 0-0 draw against Tottenham
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Your support makes all the difference.Roy Hodgson will have groaned when he heard the news that Daniel Sturridge had been left out of Liverpool’s squad to play at White Hart Lane on Saturday. The England manager was without the player who was his first-choice centre-forward at the World Cup for the entire duration of the national team’s successful Euro 2016 qualifying campaign but is planning to being him back into the squad for next month’s friendlies against Spain and France.
“Daniel is an extremely gifted player, and in particular an extremely gifted goalscorer, because he doesn’t need too many chances to score goals,” said Hodgson. “I was delighted to see Daniel back fit and playing [earlier this month].
“I know, he knows and Liverpool know that there is a bit of work for him to do because he has been back for such a long time, and even when you regain fitness, you don’t regain match fitness fully until you get a few matches under your belt. But we’re expecting him to be the player he was when we selected him, and believed so much in him, before the World Cup. I would like him back [with England] for the next games [in November] and I have told him that.”
Sturridge’s omission against Tottenham, due to a knee injury suffered in training on Friday, was just a precaution said new Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. It is hoped he will be fit to play in against Rubin Kazan in the Europa League this week.
"He had a one-one-one with Jordan Ibe in training yesterday and after had pain in the knee,” said Klopp. “We screened him to be sure. There is a bit of swelling but nothing serious. I hope he will be ready to play on Thursday but I do not know."
Hodgson said he had spoken to Sturridge and said to him: “we’re counting on you being fit, getting matches and getting some goals hopefully and being with us in November.”
Hodgson, whose qualification campaign achieved ten straight wins despite a long list of injuries, said: “It would be a very nice bonus to have if Daniel Sturridge was back and fit. It would be a great bonus if Luke Shaw recovers, if Jack Wilshere gets back again, if Danny Welbeck gets back again, Jordan Henderson, Fabian Delph, Michael Carrick. There are an awful lot of players [absent this week when England played in Lithuania] who I think are players that can really help England in a major tournament. We have to hope they are fit, recover from their injuries and are back playing with their club teams.”
Hodgson added in certain circumstances he would be prepared to take a player to France who was not fully fit. “You have to take everything on a one-to-one basis. If you have a top, top class player who was really important to you, who was going to get fit in the course of the competition, you would have to consider that.”
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