You'll have plenty to celebrate when you subscribe to the Liverpool FC newsletter Sign me up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Brendan Rodgers is refusing to rule Daniel Sturridge out of Liverpool’s game at home to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday - despite the striker being deemed not fit enough for the England squad.

Rodgers reacted angrily after Sturridge picked up a thigh injury while on international duty last month and said the Three Lions did not give the forward enough recovery time in between a friendly with Norway and a Euro qualifier in Switzerland.

But having held talks with England boss Roy Hodgson this week the decision was made to leave Sturridge out of the national squad - even though he may be fit to face West Brom this weekend.

“I’ve got good communication with Roy and we spoke at length yesterday on the situation,” Rodgers said.

“Every individual player you have to look at differently. I understand he has work to do internationally and I said my thoughts are with the Liverpool players and what their needs are.

“We agreed that it was probably too soon for Daniel to meet up with England, irrespective of if he was involved this weekend or not.

“He hasn’t trained with the squad at all since his injury with them. It was probably not the right time for him to go.”

In pictures: LFC train ahead of WBA clash

Asked if Sturridge will be fit to face the Baggies this weekend, he added: “We will have to wait and see.”

Rodgers was asked what Sturridge thought about the situation and replied: “I’m not sure. My focus is on Liverpool, it is not on England.

“I’ve spoke to him about being available for Liverpool. You can’t even think about England if he’s not ready to play for Liverpool.

“He’s had a grade one injury for near on four weeks which is a long time and my focus is now getting him to play for Liverpool.

“Once he is available for Liverpool and playing and showing that level of fitness then he (Hodgson) will bring him back into the squad.”

And the Reds boss does not foresee future problems with England over Sturridge.

“I don’t think the same thing will happen again,” he said

“From the conversations with Roy we’ll obviously look at that.

“I understand Roy’s position where he only has a few days to work with players and he will probably take away that intensity on that second day.

“You can still work players but it has to be tapered to the individual player. So I don’t think we’ll see that situation again.”

Although Sturridge has not been ruled out, Rodgers does not expect to see any of the squad’s other injured players return for Saturday’s game.

*More on this:a West Brom fan's view of their clash with Liverpool FC