Brendan Rodgers says he will be given funds to address Liverpool's chronic striker shortage in January and already has a list of targets to ease the burden on Luis Suárez.

Liverpool's fruitless end to the last transfer window has predictably cost the team and now Suárez is the only senior forward fit to face Reading on Saturday after Fabio Borini was ruled out for three months with a broken foot sustained while training with the Italy Under-21 squad.

Rodgers was refused the money to sign Clint Dempsey by Liverpool's owners, 24 hours after he allowed Andy Carroll to join West Ham United on loan, although the club claimed they would have been willing to pay a large fee to sign the younger Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea.

The Liverpool manager has again played down the prospect of recalling Carroll in January but insists he has assurances from Fenway Sports Group that he can sign players of his choosing when the transfer window reopens. Arsenal's Theo Walcott is one possible target.

"Summer was a real learning experience here for everyone. Everyone sees we need to add to the goal threat of the team," said Rodgers, who will give the goalkeeper José Reina a fitness test on a hamstring strain before selecting his team to play Reading.

"It'll always be the case that I'll be able to bring in the players of my choice. Obviously there'll be money available to do that in January. The scouting team are out there now compiling lists and looking at targets that we can hopefully bring in if they are affordable and available. I'm confident of that. Myself and the scouting network are looking at players and whichever one we want to go for, then we will do that."

As for requesting Carroll's return, Rodgers, who said he does not "do the desperation thing" when asked about the England international following the goalless draw against Stoke City, added: "It isn't something I have considered, to be honest. Fabio's injury has only just come up so we will assess it from there."

Despite a greater responsibility on Suárez, Rodgers admits the pressure for results means he cannot rest the Uruguay international as often as he would wish. The Liverpool manager explained: "I've rested him a couple of times knowing the squad we have and the games we have, looking to prioritise, but like most footballers he wants to play every minute of every game. It is something I need to assess. The most important thing is winning games – that is what we need to do and in order to do that as often as we can I need the best players on the field."

The Spanish midfielder Suso is on the verge of signing a contract extension at Liverpool. The 18-year-old, who has recently broken into Rodgers' team, is expected to commit to the club before the Reading game. The manager said: "He will sign a new contract later which shows our commitment to him and shows he is very happy here and feels he has hope, which is important."