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Brendan Rodgers fears Liverpool FC will have to do without Daniel Sturridge until after the international break.

The prolific striker has missed the Reds’ past 11 matches due to injury and is certain to sit out Saturday’s Premier League clash away to Newcastle United.

Sturridge, who last featured in the win at Tottenham back in August, was sidelined for six weeks with a thigh strain before damaging his calf on his return to training a fortnight ago.

Asked if Sturridge had any chance of being fit to face either Real Madrid next Tuesday or his former club Chelsea next Saturday, Rodgers told the ECHO: “No, I don’t think so.”

That would mean Sturridge also misses England’s upcoming matches against Slovenia and Scotland.

“We will just see where he’s at with Liverpool over the next 10 days and then we’ll take it from there,” Rodgers added. “But it’s highly unlikely (he will go away with England).”

Liverpool’s next fixture after the international break is a trip to Crystal Palace on November 23 – nearly three months after Sturridge’s last outing for the club.

The 25-year-old has suggested his injury problems maybe hereditary but Rodgers refused to be drawn on that theory.

“I’m not an expert on genetics or medicine so I can’t comment,” he said.

“I can only concentrate on his injury now and what my medical team here, who are fantastic, are telling me. He is just in the middle of recovering and we will see the length of time it takes. All we know is that he had a calf strain on the back of his last injury, and he is working to recover from that.”

Steven Gerrard, Raheem Sterling and Joe Allen will return to the Reds squad for the trip to the St James’ Park after being rested for the midweek Capital One Cup tie. Jose Enrique (knee), Mamadou Sakho (thigh), Suso (groin) and Jon Flanagan (knee) remain sidelined.

* Liverpool’s Capital One Cup quarter-final at Bournemouth will be played on Wednesday, December 17 (7.45pm). It will be live on Sky Sports.