Daniel Sturridge's Latest Injury: Should Jurgen Klopp Sign a New Forward?

Daniel Sturridge is injured. Again. The England international has been ruled out until the new year, with his fifth injury of 2015, per James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo.

News of the 26-year-old sustaining a hamstring issue in the 2-0 defeat at Newcastle United at the weekend was met with a mix of frustration, anger, and sympathy for the player—who has now had 18 different injuries since arriving at Anfield just under three years ago, via PhysioRoom.com.

What a difference a week makes for Liverpool and Sturridge. Last week saw him make his first start since Jurgen Klopp arrived at the club two months ago, having been sidelined with two different injuries in that short time, with Liverpool routing Southampton 6-1 in the League Cup quarter-final.

The mood was extremely positive, not least because Sturridge scored two excellent goals, showcasing his worth to the club and what a difference he makes when fit and in the side.

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"I said to Sturridge after the game, 'Now I know what everybody is talking about so thank you'," said Klopp post-match, via BBC Sport.

A week later and the talk is of yet another Sturridge injury. We've been here before.

Sturridge's latest problem is likely to see him miss the festive fixtures, as reported by Pearce, who wrote:

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It’s the latest sorry chapter for Sturridge, who has been dogged by a succession of injury setbacks over the past 18 months.

When Luis Suarez was sold to Barcelona in the summer of 2014, Sturridge was expected to become the focal point of the Liverpool attack.

However, since the prolific Uruguayan frontman departed, Sturridge has started just 16 of the Reds’ 81 fixtures.

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With Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino having failed to combine effectively in their two starts together, against Swansea City and Newcastle, Klopp will be frustrated at being without Sturridge for games against West Bromwich Albion, Watford, Leicester City and Sunderland.

While Klopp's quotes, as reported by BBC Sport, on Sturridge having to recognise what was "serious pain and what is only pain" were widely reported in the media, the Reds' boss also pointed out that "it is normal when you get back in training" to pick up slight injuries.

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The hope therefore will be that this latest setback doesn't leave Sturridge on the sidelines for long.

But what is becoming increasingly clear is that the former Manchester City and Chelsea striker simply cannot be relied upon at Anfield.

With Danny Ings also sidelined, having been ruled out for the season with a torn ACL, Klopp may need to start looking at bringing in a forward in January—something that could be easier said than done.

With no Champions League football to offer yet, and having spent a sizeable amount on Benteke less than six months ago, it's hard to see how Liverpool can go out and sign a top-quality forward to replace Sturridge.

Instead, it's more likely Klopp will need to sign somebody he can polish into a gem, as he did with Robert Lewandowski at Borussia Dortmund.

One option may be West Brom forward Saido Berahino, a player previously linked with Liverpool and frequently linked with a move away from the Hawthorns.

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The Burundi-born England under-21 international threatened to go on strike at West Brom after they turned down bids from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window, and the player has now shown his unrest at the club via social media this week, as reported by the Telegraph.

Berahino was linked with a move to Anfield a year ago, as reported by the Press Association (h/t This Is Anfield), with West Brom even tweeting to deny a £23 million deal had been agreed.

The 22-year-old's contract expires in less than two years, and he looks highly unlikely to sign a new deal at the Midlands club. Tottenham will no doubt show interest again in January, looking for other forward options than just Harry Kane.

Liverpool could certainly do worse than look at Berahino, who split with the controversial agent of Raheem Sterling this summer. He's capable of playing through the middle or on either side in a front three, which fits well with Klopp's desired formation.

Crucially, Berahino appears to be a player who suits Liverpool's style of play and would work well alongside those players already at the club.

If a new signing isn't attainable, though, Klopp may be best looking to build around playing Firmino as No. 9—where the Brazilian has been deployed in the standout victories away to Chelsea and Manchester City. But the question here is whether that will be enough to break down defences who sit deep at Anfield.

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Firmino up front works well against tough opposition away from home, but we're yet to see this tried in a home game. Sunday's visit of West Brom could see Klopp try it for the first time.

The other option is to somehow get £32.5 million man Benteke and £29 million man Firmino working together—something which looked wholly unlikely in the defeat at Newcastle, with the duo completing just one pass combination in their hour on the pitch together. They don't complement each other's style of play.

Philippe Coutinho's return from injury could provide a welcome boost for Klopp this weekend, but the Liverpool boss will be pondering his options following Sturridge's latest injury.

Liverpool made the huge mistake of relying upon the England international when Suarez departed, something that has plagued the club in the 18 months since.

Now they must find a solution without Sturridge—having him fit would just be a bonus.