Patient Klopp willing to wait for injured Sturridge

REUTERS – Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said he was ready to give injury-plagued striker Daniel Sturridge all the time he needs to recover from a hamstring injury sustained against Newcastle United last month.

Sturridge has played just 108 minutes of football since Klopp took over from Brendan Rodgers in October and has missed the Merseyside club’s last 11 matches in all competitions since the 2-0 defeat by the Magpies on December 6.

“I had 15 months with Ilkay Gundogan (at Borussia Dortmund) where we had to all wait but it was his back and we had no chance to force it. It’s not a back problem with Daniel but it’s the muscle,” Klopp told British media about his willingness to wait.

“Out of responsibility, we have to do everything we can to give him the physical strength to be able to play Premier League football. We all know it’s pretty easy for him when he’s fit but at this moment he isn’t.”

Klopp ruled the England international out of Saturday’s Premier League trip to Norwich City and the League Cup semi-final second leg against Stoke City at Anfield on Tuesday.

“He’s not with the team at the moment but we have enough games this season when we hopefully can use him but not, if nothing happens, for at least the next 10 days,” the 48-year-old said.

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru)