• Premier League

Rodgers changes his tune on Sturridge

Daniel Sturridge has not played for Liverpool since August, and now has a new injury © Getty Images

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Brendan Rodgers has changed his tune slightly when it comes to Daniel Sturridge's injuries, with the striker's mishaps having progressed from "preventable" to "innocuous".

Sturridge suffered a tear in his thigh to keep him out for another six weeks, and has not played for Liverpool since August.

But Rodgers claimed that it was the kind of training injury that could have happened to anybody, rather than the result of any mismanagement - a rather different response to his attack on England manager Roy Hodgson the last time the player was injured during a session.

"It happened in a session and it was quite innocuous," Rodgers said on Thursday. "He did it when he just flicked the ball, it wasn't a shot or anything that looked serious.

"Most players you'll find want to play through an injury to get onto the field. Very few go out there and are 100%. The scan shows a slight tear just below where he had a previous injury."

It is a far cry from the Liverpool manager's response to Sturridge's previous injury, which came on England duty, and which Rodgers blasted as "preventable"

"We're obviously disappointed because we feel it was an injury which could have been prevented," Rodgers said at the time.

"I think clubs work differently at times to international teams.

"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."

It seems that, where Sturridge is concerned, no injury, however innocuous, is truly preventable.

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