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With 20 goals in 26 league games for Liverpool, in any other season Daniel Sturridge would be topping player of the season lists. This year, he's been rather overshadowed by Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard, and those two may have to step up their games again in Sturridge's absence after the England striker suffered a hamstring strain late against Manchester City that has him doubtful for at least this Sunday.
According to the club, there remains a chance he will be fit enough to at least make the bench against Norwich. However, despite that relatively hopeful stance, Sturridge himself took to Instagram today to say, "I've been given a setback but that will equal a comeback," a seemingly ominous note from a striker in the thick of a title challenge for his club and dreaming of World Cup glory with his country.
If Sturridge does in fact end up being absent for an extended period—perhaps even for the remainder of the season—Liverpool fans will look hopefully back to his absence for more than a month during the winter, when Luis Suarez more than picked up the slack on his way to becoming the world's in form footballer.
Liverpool are obviously a better side with both available, but the ability for either to compensate for the other's absence has been one of this season's biggest positives. Sturridge's injury may be unfortunate, but there is a good chance it will not impact the club as much as Jordan Henderson's suspension, with the red card the midfielder picked up against City meaning he will miss three of the remaining four games this season.
With both players likely to be absent against Norwich—at least from the start of the match, and even that's on the off chance Sturridge's injury isn't as bad as he seems to fear and he makes the bench—it seems likely that both Joe Allen and Lucas Leiva will find their way back into the starting eleven while Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho push forward to flank Suarez.
