Football
Mike Whalley 9y

Daniel Sturridge, Jordan Henderson fit for Liverpool against Man City

LIVERPOOL -- Daniel Sturridge has been cleared to play in Liverpool's Premier League clash with Manchester City on Sunday.

The striker was substituted as a precaution during Thursday's Europa League round of 32 second leg defeat at Besiktas and he is still regaining full match fitness, having returned in late January after five months out with thigh and calf problems.

Brendan Rodgers has admitted that he has to manage the 25-year-old England international's fitness to ensure he suffers no further problems.

The Liverpool manager said: "We just have to manage Daniel. He had given everything in the game. It's maybe easier to look at it from the outside and say he could have continued to play, but you've got to remember this is a player coming back from five months out injured.

"He's someone who is gaining his fitness in the games, and we have to be really careful that he doesn't break.

"Daniel's history shows that he's got a past in terms of injuries, so we have to try to manage that in the very best way that we can. There's been very little training in between the games because the players have to play, recover and then play again.

"And he'd given everything. There was no more left in his legs. We just needed to take him off to prevent him getting an injury while he was very, very tired."

Jordan Henderson is in contention to make a return from injury himself. The midfielder and vice-captain did not travel to Turkey because of a minor ankle problem.

Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho also missed the match with a minor knock, but will be fit to face City, manager Brendan Rodgers said.

Captain Steven Gerrard is set to remain absent with a hamstring problem, though, while the match is likely to come too soon for centre-back Mamadou Sakho, even though he has returned to training after two matches out with a hip injury. Midfielder Lucas Leiva is still absent with a thigh problem.

Rodgers told a news conference: "It's going to be similar to what we had the other night. We'll assess one or two of the boys who have been out. Jordan Henderson is one we'll have a look at. We'll see how he is. Phil Coutinho will be fine. But the rest will be as it was."

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