• Premier League

Sturridge to spend Christmas in US for injury rehab

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge will continue his rehabilitation from a thigh injury in the United States over Christmas.

Sturridge spent 10 days in Los Angeles to help with his recovery and he will now travel to the east coast to link up with the medical team at the Boston Red Sox, who share the same owners as Liverpool in Fenway Sports Group.

He will be accompanied by the club's head of conditioning Glen Driscoll with the Press Association reporting that the Red Sox have specialists who may be able to assist in putting an end to the striker's persistent thigh problem.

Daniel Sturridge has not played for Liverpool since August 31 © Getty Images

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The 25-year-old has not played for Liverpool since August 31 after straining a thigh while training on international duty with England.

On the eve of his club comeback he pulled a calf muscle in his first full training session back with the first team and just when he appeared to have got over that he sustained another, different, thigh injury which has ruled him out until the new year.

Rodgers said last month the club may have to look even deeper into the root of Sturridge's problems, of which this is the ninth separate but similar injury has had in his career.

The player has suggested the issue may be hereditary as his father, a trainee at Birmingham, and two uncles Dean and Simon - both professional footballers - also suffered the same problems.

While Sturridge remains on schedule to return in the new year, fellow striker Mario Balotelli is still trying to overcome the groin injury he sustained on international duty just over a month ago.

The Italy forward made his comeback as a second-half substitute in Sunday's defeat at Manchester United but has not travelled with the squad for Wednesday's League Cup quarter-final at Bournemouth.

Instead he has stayed behind to receive further treatment on the injury at the club's Melwood training ground with a view to him being fit for Sunday's visit of Arsenal.

Defender Glen Johnson, who came off with a groin injury at Old Trafford, is likely to be out for about a month, meaning on-loan Javier Manquillo could be set for an extended run if manager Brendan Rodgers reverts to a flat back four having experimented with three centre-backs against United.

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