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Sometimes when a player gets injured, it's up to his teammates to tell the story. With Daniel Sturridge injured for the third month in a row and out until the new year, it's understandable that he'd rather not talk for now. Knowing that someone has to speak for his friend, Sturridge's teammate and vice-captain Jordan Henderson commiserated with the press about his fallen brother-in-boots.
"It is a big blow, not only for the team but for him as well," Henderson told the media yesterday. "He is devastated, at a really low point really because he was looking forward to getting back playing. He felt good so it is disappointing for us as a team and him personally."
It's easy to understand exactly what Henderson means. Sturridge was first injured in September while on duty with England, then got hurt again during the international break in October while trying to come back from his initial injury. Now a month later, the same thing has happened again. For any athlete, who's main goal is to get out on the field and compete, this stretch of months has to be frustrating, infuriating, maddening, and probably bordering on depressing by now.
Every time Sturridge has been ready to return, boom, he's hurt again. At this point he has to feel so snakebitten that it wouldn't be shocking if he's buying stock in companies that make antivenin. Fortunately, though, Sturridge has the trust, support, and respect of a pretty dang good group of guys to help keep him on his feet and fighting through this tough time.
"We have to make sure as teammates we are strong for [Sturridge]," Henderson said of how his teammates are handling this. "He is doing everything he can in the gym and on the training field to get back as quick as he can. Hopefully he has a quick recovery, a speedy recovery and he comes back firing on all cylinders."
Hopefully all that hard work and the support of his teammates is enough. Trying to deal with these kinds of repetitive setbacks on your own would be a brutal blow to someone's confidence, but having this support base, this family, to help pick you up and put you back on your feet means Sturridge will never have to do this on his own. With some work and a little luck, they'll have the striker ready and raring for action again soon.
If anyone deserves some good luck over the rest of the season, it's Daniel Sturridge.
