Croatia
Indonesia
Nigeria
South Africa

Daniel Sturridge's comeback in jeopardy as coach claims "he keeps breaking down"

mirror.co.uk, 26 February 2022, 10:23
Former Liverpool and Chelsea star Daniel Sturridge has had a tough time with injuries and a move to Australia was supposed to represent a fresh start but it has not gone to plan for the striker

Daniel Sturridge's comeback has been left in tatters after his Perth Glory coach revealed that he cannot beat his injury problems.

It is another knock back for the striker that once lit the Premier League up with his fantastic displays.

After falling out of favour at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp, Sturridge has struggled for game-time while he has spent a number of years in and out of the physio room.

Last year in October, the forward signed for Perth Glory after more than a year out of football in a bid to kickstart his career.

But it has not gone to plan on the pitch, where he has made just five appearances - all from the bench - and has yet to score.

And his comeback continues to get worse after another injury that threatens to further curtail his football career.

Sturridge was hauled off while clutching his groin after Glory's defeat to Macarthur, just moments before he had a brilliant chance to open his account for his new club.

While the problem was blamed on a rushed warm-up, Perth boss Richard Garcia admitted he is running out of chances for the former England international.

"I keep trying to bring him back and he keeps breaking down," he said.

"We've got to get to grips with it and find out where he's at. He keeps getting to certain stages... we'll have to wait and see how this one turns up. Hopefully it's nothing."

Back in October, Glory owner Tony Sage hailed Sturridge's arrival as one of the biggest transfers in A-League history.

But the 32-year-old has struggled for game-time for a number of reasons, including three separate stints in quarantine following his move to Australia.

Injuries have played their part, too, and the latest blow saw him come off just 18 minutes into his own cameo appearance on Wednesday.

With Glory losing 1-0 after ex- Chelsea ace Ulises Davila's earlier strike, Sturridge had a brilliant chance to bring his club level.

In front of goal, though, his shot was pulled wide and he departed the pitch soon after with Garcia blaming a rushed warm-up at half-time for his injury.

"We had him in at half-time, and then he did it so quickly that maybe he didn't have enough time to warm up," Garcia said.

"He's disappointed. We've got to take a look at it. Hopefully, it's not as bad as it felt. He's a pretty strong guy.

"He's had these injuries before. It's just about him coming back from it."

It remains to be seen how long the former Liverpool star will be out for but it does not look for a player that has toiled with these problems for years now.

Top News

23 December 2024 talksport.com Big things were expected of Marko Mitrovic when he joined Chelsea as a 16-year-old in 2008. 23 December 2024 talksport.com talkSPORT has today announced that is has won radio rights to the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 coverage. 23 December 2024 talksport.com Boxing Day football is beloved by fans and one of the highlights of the Christmas schedule - but it can prove tricky for the players. 23 December 2024 talksport.com A handful of Premier League stars will be able to spend Christmas at home this year after receiving a Boxing Day ban. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea return to action on Boxing Day when they play host to local rivals Fulham at Stamford Bridge. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Lisandro Martinez has claimed that Manchester United were "playing so well" before losing 3-0 to Bournemouth on Sunday. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has allegedly made a further two senior players available for transfer. 23 December 2024 talksport.com Arsenal have reportedly scouted Atalanta striker Mateo Retegui as an alternative transfer target to Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have reportedly discovered the asking price of Brighton & Hove Albion forward Joao Pedro. 23 December 2024 talksport.com Denis Suarez wasn't the player Arsenal fans wanted to sign - but he's the footballer supporters have a hard time in forgetting. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City will be aiming to avoid four straight defeats across all competitions when they welcome Everton to the Etihad in the Premier League on Boxing Day. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk After spending Christmas Day in the bottom half of the Premier League table, Tottenham Hotspur endeavour to atone for recent failings when they travel to Nottingham Forest for a Boxing Day battle. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk After celebrating Christmas Day at the top of the Premier League table, Liverpool get back to business on Boxing Day, when they welcome Leicester City to Anfield. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The January transfer window is almost here and clubs around the UK and Europe are lining up moves as they look to take advantage of the opportunity to strengthen. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Hatayspor vs. Adana Demirspor (Monday, 5.00pm) The battle of the bottom feeders in the Turkish Super Lig unfolds on Monday as Hatayspor host Adana Demirspor at the Mersin Stadyumu. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Benfica vs. Estoril (Monday, 6.45pm) Separated by 10 places in the Primeira Liga table before gameweek 15, second-placed Benfica are clear favourites to outdo Estoril Praia at Estadio da Luz on Monday. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fiorentina vs. Udinese (Monday, 5.30pm) After their incredible success streak was finally brought to an end last week, Fiorentina will aim to start another winning run on Monday, when they meet Udinese. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Yemen and Saudi Arabia will celebrate Christmas Day by facing each other on matchday two of the Arabian Gulf Cup on Wednesday at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Yemen and Saudi Arabia will celebrate Christmas Day by facing each other on matchday two of the Arabian Gulf Cup on Wednesday at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk First place in Group B of the Arabian Gulf Cup will be at stake on Wednesday as Bahrain and Iraq celebrate Christmas Day at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait. 23 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United transfer target Randal Kolo Muani is very likely to leave Paris Saint-Germain in the January transfer window, according to reports. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City have reportedly set their sights on West Ham United attacker Mohammed Kudus, with Pep Guardiola keen to strengthen his struggling squad. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly set to rival Arsenal for the signature of Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic in the summer of 2025. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The final Premier League gameweek before Christmas appropriately served up some crackers, including a festive feast of goals in North London, where Liverpool ran riot in an exhilarating 6-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur. 22 December 2024 talksport.com Even when the pulse settled a little after this compellingspectacle it was still difficult to know quite where to start todissect this nine-goal thriller. 22 December 2024 talksport.com Ange Postecoglou cut an irritated figure as he claimed he's going to stop answering questions about Tottenham's tactics. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur have supposedly expressed an interest in signing Borussia Dortmund attacker Julian Brandt next month. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool's Mohamed Salah refused to give anything away when asked whether he could break Ian Rush's all-time goalscoring record after the Reds' remarkable 6-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool's astonishing 6-3 Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday evening saw a multitude of records and achievements surpassed, as the Reds moved four points clear at the top of the table. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Al-Ahli have reportedly emerged as the favourites to sign Marcus Rashford, with the Manchester United attacker widely expected to be on the move during the January transfer window.