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Absent from the matchday squad in the 2-0 win over AC Milan on Saturday evening were Lazar Markovic, Jon Flanagan, and Daniel Sturridge; neither of the former pair were involved against Manchester City on Wednesday, but Sturridge logged a full ninety minutes for the first time since joining the preseason tour. On Friday we learned that the trio missed training, and, in Brendan Rodgers' post-match comments last night, we learned that two of the three would be heading back to Merseyside early.
Those two are Sturridge and Flanagan, who will join Adam Lallana on the flight back to Liverpool for recovery. In the case of Sturridge--whose injury history is fairly extensive--the news was concerning, but Rodgers asserted that there shouldn't be any lasting impact from what amounted to a minor hamstring "feeling:"
"Dan has flown back to the UK. He wasn't going to be ready for the game on Monday but there is no concern there. He will be ready for the game against Borussia Dortmund next weekend. It was just best to get him back to the training ground so he can get some treatment there. He has a really, really slight feeling in his hamstring. Nothing major."
That means the striker won't be available for selection against Manchester United on Monday night, but given that the match has no real value or purpose, there's no sense risking his longer-term availability even if it appears to be a relatively minor concern.
Get healthy, and get ready for Southampton.
