Brendan Rodgers believes Daniel Sturridge’s return to full fitness will be the bump his Liverpool side need to push on.
Liverpool have suffered with inconsistency this season so far, having sold Luis Suarez to Barcelona and lost Sturridge to injury, leaving Brendan Rodgers short on goalscorers.
England striker Sturridge has not featured for the club since the end of August but is expected to return in the coming weeks and Rodgers believes his return will boost the side.
“Top players have such an influence on the team,” Rodgers told reporters. “When you are under the cosh, you know that you have strikers who can score out of nothing. It is a big weapon.
“Sturridge is one of them. That is where we aim to get with Daniel. But he won’t become a top European striker until he plays consistently. It doesn’t matter about potential. You have to play.
“When he comes back into the team, you will see the confidence because of the movement and the dynamic, but he isn’t fit and he hasn’t been for a long time.”