Sturridge adds ´new dimension´ – Rodgers

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers hopes the return of forward Daniel Sturridge can provide his team with a much-needed lift.

Sturridge, 26, was limited to just 12 Premier League appearances last season and required hip surgery at the end of the campaign.

The England international is nearing a return and could be included for his first outing this season when Liverpool host Norwich City on Sunday.

Having seen Sturridge in action alongside new signing Christian Benteke in training, Rodgers is upbeat about what the former Chelsea and Manchester City man can add.

“He [Sturridge] has been really positive in terms of the training, in terms of his work off the field,” the Northern Irishman said.

“He’s come back with a real hunger to succeed, which is great.

“He’s looked really powerful and fast, and his quality is there to see.

“Some of the staff who have come in had heard me talk about him, and they’ve seen from his very first session that we’re talking about a different level of player.

“And when you have that standard of player available, it can lift you to a new dimension.”

Rodgers’ side need a boost after scoring just three times in their opening five Premier League matches, which have yielded seven points.

Of those goals, two have been stunners – Philippe Coutinho against Stoke City and Benteke at Manchester United – and the other was the Belgian’s offside goal against Bournemouth.

Rodgers, who could also have captain Jordan Henderson (heel) back against Norwich, said his team needed to be brave.

“I have always said that possession is no good without purpose – you have to be able to penetrate and that’s something we are looking at within the team,” he said.

“Of the last 19 games, in 17 of them we have scored only one goal. When you look at that cold fact it tells you we have to be better with our creativity and part of that is having the bravery to take people on, to take a risk and make individual actions that might not come off but has us in an aggressive mindset.

“That’s something the players are aware of and are working very hard to achieve.”