Daniel Sturridge Injury Woe Doubles Liverpool Striker Needs in Transfer Window

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has returned to the United States for further assessment on his ongoing injury problems as the Reds seek answers to "underlying issues."

"I think we have found some underlying issues that maybe relate to Daniel’s issues and problems this season and the ongoing problems he’s had," explained manager Brendan Rodgers on Friday, per Press Association (via This Is Anfield).

Sturridge has missed the last three games and will be unavailable for the visit of Queens Park Rangers to Anfield on Saturday.

"The medical team here, liaising with some of the medics in America, are doing everything we possibly can to give Daniel every opportunity to stay consistently fit and available," added Rodgers.

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Last week, Rodgers admitted that the 25-year-old may not return until pre-season, saying: "It has just been one of those seasons where he has been very unfortunate and he has missed out."

Liverpool have been unfortunate that Sturridge has appeared in only 18 of the side’s 54 matches this season, but they were also naive to enter this season with their hopes so heavily resting on the perennially injured centre-forward.

This latest setback is Sturridge's 15th since joining the club from Chelsea in January 2013, and his career has been plagued by niggling injuries.

Rodgers was asked on Friday if he thought any of the issues were mental for the player, replying: "I’m not sure. Daniel is like every other player—he wants to play and be available."

Sturridge last year claimed his injury problems could be hereditary, per the Guardian.

It's got to the stage now where Liverpool must surely be pondering whether he will ever return to the form or fitness of last season, when he scored 24 goals in 33 games for the club.

Sturridge's injuries this campaign are one of the mitigating factors Rodgers will cite when he is asked to review the 2014/15 season with owners Fenway Sports Group later this month. 

Rodgers clearly failed to deliver on his intended targets this season—namely a top-four finish, domestic cup success and progress to the Champions League knockout stages—but the failure to replace Luis Suarez will be Rodgers' riposte to the owners.

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Somehow, Liverpool went from targeting Alexis Sanchez, a player who was suited to the club's style of play and would have gone someway to replacing Suarez, to ending up with "calculated gamble" Mario Balotelli, a player who far from suits the club's style of play or off-pitch standards.

Throw in the addition of Rickie Lambert—a player who has started just once in 2015, in an FA Cup game at AFC Wimbledon—and Liverpool entered this season having signed two strikers but neither of whom could replace Sturridge when he was inevitably injured.

Somebody, somewhere within Liverpool FC is accountable for such a season-defining failure, whether that's Rodgers, the owners themselves or the collective brain pool of the fabled transfer committee.

Future

PSV attacker Memphis Depay is now Liverpool's prime target this summer, according to the Guardian's Andy Hunter among others.

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Depay, 21, would without doubt be an excellent addition at Anfield, but even at this early juncture, supporters will fear that Liverpool's pursuit of the talented Dutchman will end the same way similar high-profile approaches for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Diego Costa, Alexis Sanchez, Willian and Mohamed Salah ended—empty-handed.

Liverpool will need to persuade Depay that they can develop him as a player, give him plenty of playing time and turn him into a superstar. They'll use the example of Suarez's move from Ajax as an example no doubt.

But Depay's success so far with PSV, 21 goals in 28 games this season, has come as a wide player, rather than as a central striker.

Even with the arrival this summer of Divock Origi—the £10 million purchase who was loaned back to Lille—Liverpool must add two new attackers to their squad at least.

Sturridge cannot be relied upon, Depay would be nice but isn't yet able to fill the centre-forward role in a 4-3-3 system on his own and Origi is only 20.

Balotelli, Lambert and Fabio Borini will all be available this summer no doubt and a complete overhaul of the Reds' attack is required.

If Liverpool could sign only two players this summer, they both must be forwards. The need for any other position is far down the list of priorities.

Add attacking energy, drive and clinical finishing in the final third, and there's no reason Liverpool cannot recover next season. Fail to do so again and it will be another long season on Merseyside.