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A year ago this week Daniel Sturridge was basking in the glory of grabbing the winner against Southampton in Liverpool’s opening Premier League clash of the new campaign.

All the talk in the build-up had been about Sturridge taking on greater responsibility following the £75million sale of strike partner Luis Suarez to Barcelona.

He had spoken with relish about helping to fill the void and becoming the focal point of the Reds’ attack.

“I’ll step up myself and everyone has to step up to get the goals because it is a long season,” Sturridge said.

His close range finish against Saints was his 36th goal in just his 50th match for Liverpool. You had to go back to George Allan in the late 19th century to find the last Reds player who was more prolific over his first half century of appearances.

However, Sturridge’s hopes of cementing his status as Liverpool’s main man and heading their push for honours were soon dashed.

A thigh strain suffered on international duty, when he was pushed too hard by Roy Hodgson’s staff during an England training session, left him crestfallen and effectively derailed the club’s season.

Twice, when on the brink of a return, he broke down at Melwood and it was five months before he kicked a ball in anger again. His absence was accentuated by the struggles of Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini.

On his comeback in late January, Sturridge was unable to get back to the heights he had previously hit and his brittle body continued to hamper his progress – culminating in the decision in May to enlist the help of American specialists and send him to New York to undergo hip surgery.

Having plundered 24 goals in 33 appearances in 2013/14, he managed just five goals in 18 matches last term.

Now Sturridge is on the comeback trail once again after his rehabilitation in Boston and will be back at Melwood next week. He hopes to feature against Manchester United at Old Trafford on September 12. However, the big question is where does Sturridge fit in?

Times have changed at Anfield

This is a very different Liverpool squad from the one Sturridge last graced back in April.

Some painful lessons were learned on the back of his injury woes. The reality is you simply can’t build a team around someone who misses so much football.

Liverpool banked on him staying fit last season and paid a heavy price when he spent most of the campaign sat on the treatment table.

This time around there is a quiet confidence among the club’s medical staff that surgery did the trick and the Reds have found a long-term solution to his troubles.

But, crucially, Liverpool’s season doesn’t hinge on Sturridge’s availability because Brendan Rodgers put a proven Premier League marksman top of his summer shopping list.

The Reds boss got his man with the £32.5million swoop for Christian Benteke – now the focal point of the attack and that’s not going to change when Sturridge is back.

Liverpool have also added Roberto Firmino, Danny Ings and Divock Origi to their ranks. That array of attacking options is in stark contrast to last season.

Sturridge is likely to be shifted out wide

When the England international last played against Blackburn back in April, he was the lone frontman in Rodgers’ 4-1-4-1 formation. He had Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling either side of him with Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson the central midfield duo and Lucas Leiva in the holding role.

However, when he returns to action next month, his role in the team is set to be very different.

Rodgers’ favoured formation this season is 4-3-3 and if, as expected, Rodgers persists with a three-pronged attack then Benteke will play through the middle with Sturridge competing for one of the other spots currently taken by Adam Lallana and Jordon Ibe.

The chance to play centrally was one of the reasons why Sturridge opted to leave Chelsea for Anfield in a £12m deal in January 2013.

But Rodgers hasn’t always played him there. There were times during his deadly double act with Suarez that Sturridge flourished from out wide, cutting inside to wreak havoc with the Uruguayan and Rodgers will hope he strikes up the same kind of rapport with Benteke.

The prospect of Liverpool going to Goodison in October with a front three of Firmino, Benteke and Sturridge is mouthwatering.

Rodgers could accommodate Sturridge by rekindling his 4-4-2 midfield diamond

Liverpool produced some of their most scintillating performances in the title challenging campaign of 2013/14 when they played Suarez and Sturridge up together as a genuine front two.

It worked because behind them you had Steven Gerrard at the base of a diamond with the legs of Allen and Henderson on the sides and either Sterling or Coutinho operating as a creative force at the tip.

Rodgers also utilised that same formation in the 3-0 rout of Tottenham at White Hart Lane last August - the first and last time Sturridge and Balotelli started together.

The only issue with playing that system over the coming months is Rodgers trying to find room for his most gifted players. It would probably be Emre Can at the base with Henderson and James Milner on the sides with either Coutinho or Firmino at the tip.

Wherever Sturridge plays, motivation shouldn’t be an issue

Sturridge has endured a miserable 12 months. A run of injury setbacks was accompanied by criticism in some quarters about his mental strength and willingness to put his body on the line.

Following the arrival of Benteke, he is no longer regarded as the club’s frontline striker.

When he finally pulls on a Liverpool shirt again next month, Rodgers will expect to see a player desperate to make up for lost time.