Reds attacker already confirmed as absent for Moldova.
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England captain Steven Gerrard says that he sympathies with front man Daniel Sturridge after his in-form club-mate was ruled out of Friday night’s FIFA World Cup Group H qualifier against Moldova at Wembley Stadium with a thigh injury, according to reports in the Daily Mail.
Sturridge is currently the most prolific marksmen plying his trade in the top flight, with the Liverpool striker having begun the new season in red-hot form in front of goal.
Sturridge has just created history in fact by becoming the first player ever in the 21-year history of the Premier League to have scored three goals in 1-0 wins in the opening three league fixtures of a new campaign, with the 24-year-old’s strikes having also sent the Merseyside giants to the top of the table in the process.
And in total so far this season, Sturridge has managed to register an impressive five goals and one assist for the Reds in just four fixtures in all competitions.
However, it was in the last those games against Premier League champions Manchester United that the forward aggravated a thigh injury that has since ruled the Englishman out of the qualifier with Moldova.
However, while Gerrard has bemoaned his team-mate’s absence on Friday, he is still hopeful of Sturridge being fit to face Ukraine on Tuesday night, saying: “It’s a shame for Daniel. The stage was set for him to shine on the international stage. Hopefully he will come back for Tuesday because he makes the squad a lot stronger.
“Tuesday will be a more difficult test but we’ve still got to deal with Moldova. It’s a big week and we need as many points as possible.
“Ukraine is a very exciting game. These are the tests you want. We can lift the country with two good performances this week.”