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Brendan Rodgers says patience is required as Daniel Sturridge seeks to get back to the blistering best for Liverpool.

The England striker has struggled to impress since returning to action in late January after five months out due to calf and thigh injuries.

Sturridge, who plundered 24 goals last term, has netted just four times in his last 15 appearances and recently said it will be next season before he hits top form again.

Rodgers agrees with that assessment and the manager must decide whether to start Sturridge or use him off the bench in Monday night’s Premier League clash with Newcastle United at Anfield.

“I knew that would be the case when he was first coming back,” Rodgers said.

“Daniel was a long time out. When you’re out for that length of time it maybe takes you the same amount of time to get back to that level again.

“The key for him was to get back and be fit but he needs a good pre-season under his belt, a total run at pre-season and hopefully he’ll be fine for next season. Until that point we have to maximize what we can get out of him.

“I won’t spare anyone if I feel they can contribute and be effective for us. If it fits the work of the team, then I’ll do that. If he’s physically fit to perform, that’s what’s important to me. Then it’s a case of how we think he can be best used, whether that’s from the start or coming off the bench, until he’s super-fit.”

Sturridge was twice on the brink of a comeback when he broke down in training earlier this season. Liverpool left no stone unturned in their bid to find a solution to his worrying catalogue of injuries as the player was sent to America to see some of the world’s best rehab specialists.

He scored just minutes after making his return against West Ham but since then the goals have dried up and his touch has deserted him. Rodgers says missing so much football was always bound to hamper him.

“Everybody is different when they get injured and how they deal with it,” he said.

“A player will never be 100% fit, more or less, when he plays. They’re always carrying something.

“If it hinders performance, then you can only trust the player that he cannot give any more or they can’t operate at the level they want to because of injury.

“Every player’s different. With Daniel there’s been a number of injuries that he’s had and that’s before he came here. He had a fairly sustained run last season and served us well but this season has been difficult.

“He just needs to find a way to physically and mentally try to keep himself as fit as he possibly can but sometimes that isn’t all down to you – sometimes it’s about luck as well.

“He’s had little training time since he’s been back. We want to get as much out of him this season as possible. But I just felt that it wouldn’t be until next season that he would be back too what he was last season.

“All the players will get an individual programme designed for them and their needs over the summer and Daniel will be no different.”