Jamie Carragher looking for Replacement of Sturridge

Daniel Sturridge has suffered yet another setback in his attempts to recover from a thigh injury that has troubled him since September.

Liverpool have confirmed that the striker will not be returning to action until early 2015. This has returned to destroy any ambitions for the campaign. Liverpool are already feeling the effects of not having their first choice striker on a regular basis. The likes of Mario Balotelli and Ricki Lambert have simply not been able to reproduce the 50+ goals that Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge produced last season. The lack of goals has seen Liverpool manage only four victories this campaign.

The club’s former defender Jamie Carragher says that it is time that Sturridge’s replacements like Balotelli and Lambert started coming to the fore. Both players have yet to score in the league this campaign. However, they have a great opportunity to end this drought when Liverpool take on Crystal Palace on Sunday. Carragher says that Brendan Rodgers wanted to build a team around Sturridge after losing Suarez in the summer. However, the entire tactics of the manager has been spoiled by the injury troubles. Rodgers said on Friday that the medical investigation has been launched since Sturridge appears to be suffering the same injury at the same spot for a number of years.

“Everyone has been hoping for the last few weeks that [the club’s performance-level and results achieved] will turn around when Sturridge is back, but now it’s back to the drawing board and Brendan Rodgers will have to go with the same players who have struggled at times so far this season. They have to produce the goods now with Sturridge looking as though he is out until the new year. I think the longer it goes on with none of the strikers scoring, you have to look at somebody else,” said Carragher.