Liverpool Manager Admits That Playing Sturridge Against Chelsea Would Be a ‘Big Risk’

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Sturridge recently returned to training after a long spell on the sidelines.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted that striker Daniel Sturridge could play some part in the Capital One Cup semi-final second leg against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this week, but the Northern Irishman has admitted that doing so would represent a “big risk”.

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Sturridge returned to first team training this weekend after a season that has seen him sidelined since August with a variety of injuries, leaving the Reds to struggle with a host of goal shy strikers during the interim period.

Indeed, so poor have their senior forwards been this season that it is likely Raheem Sterling will start upfront at Stamford Bridge, as he did in the FA Cup draw with Bolton Wanderers at the weekend, with the likes of Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert sat on the bench.

It is clear that Rodgers could do with Sturridge being available to help share some of the workload and he has admitted that he could be tempted to allow the England international to play some part in the game, as much as it would be a gamble.

“You cope by making sure that he is available for a sustainable amount of time. This is a game, a very important game, but we have shown without him in the last seven, eight weeks that the team is at a good level,” the 42-year-old was quoted by the Daily Express.

“If he feels fresh and he feels right to be involved in some part, then we will maybe look at it. But it is a big risk.”

Last term, only then teammate Luis Suarez notched more top flight goals than Sturridge, and the Reds have enormously missed 2013/14’s most deadly duo this time around.

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