Liverpool’s Mamadou Sakho and Daniel Sturridge not in squad for Basel game

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/sep/30/mamadou-sakho-daniel-sturridge-out-basel

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Daniel Sturridge has failed to recover from a thigh injury in time for Liverpool’s Champions League tie in Basel on Wednesday.

The Liverpool striker was not in the travelling party that left John Lennon airport for Switzerland on Tuesday and will now miss a sixth game for his club as a consequence of an injury sustained while training with England.

Mario Balotelli is likely to continue leading the Liverpool line against the Swiss champions in his absence. The manager, Brendan Rodgers, had hoped to have the 25-year-old available for the Merseyside derby against Everton on Saturday, with his team sorely lacking the striker’s pace, movement and finishing over the past three weeks, but the former Chelsea player did not make the bench.

Sturridge may be available for Saturday’s Premier League game at home to West Bromwich Albion but his continued fitness problem raises a dilemma for Rodgers as Roy Hodgson is due to name his next England squad on Thursday.

England face San Marino and Estonia in a European Championship qualifying double-header on 9 and 12 October and Liverpool would be reluctant for Sturridge to take part if he has not returned to full fitness.

There remains considerable anger at Anfield over the circumstances behind Sturridge’s lay-off. The striker had requested a light training session 48 hours after England’s friendly against Norway earlier this month, a routine exercise at Liverpool, but was instructed to take part in a full training session by Hodgson and pulled up injured during it.

Another notable absentee on Liverpool’s journey to Basel was the £18m defender Mamadou Sakho. The France international was facing disciplinary action from Rodgers having walked out of Anfield before the derby when informed he was not in the match-day squad.