Daniel Sturridge looked to be back to his best on Saturday as he scored two goals in Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Aston Villa.
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However, Reds manager Brendan Rodgers has insisted that the England striker is not yet even close to peak condition.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Rodgers said: “Sturridge showed what we missed for over a year – he makes the difference and helps you compete.
“His finishes were brilliant. He’s nowhere near 100% fit yet.”
England star Sturridge scored 28 goals for club and country during the 2012-13 season, but injury issues halted his progress during the following campaign, in which he hit the net just five times.
The 26-year-old had hip surgery in May this year and his subsequent recovery took longer than anticipated.
He had to wait until September 20 to make his first appearance this season, which came in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Norwich City.
Six days on from his comeback, Sturridge looks like he could be the man to kickstart Liverpool’s season.
Sturridge remained on the pitch until second-half stoppage time on Saturday. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to complete another 90 minutes next week, with games against FC Sion and Everton coming up.
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