Brendan Rodgers expects Daniel Sturridge to miss Liverpool’s most demanding week of the season as they play Newcastle United, Real Madrid and Chelsea in quick succession.

Sturridge has not featured for Liverpool since 31 August because of a thigh injury suffered on England duty plus a calf strain sustained before his first full training session back with the club.

The Liverpool manager initially estimated that the striker’s latest absence would last about “two to four weeks” but a fortnight on, and perhaps unsurprisingly given Sturridge’s fitness record, he believes there is little prospect of a rapid return.

Liverpool travel to a rejuvenated Newcastle on Saturday before facing Real Madrid in their Champions League return at the Bernabéu on Tuesday. The unbeaten Premier League leaders, Chelsea, visit Anfield on Saturday week but Rodgers is preparing for all three games without his leading striker.

“I don’t think he will be fit,” said the manager in relation to the next three matches. “We will work with him and hopefully we will get that bit of luck when he comes back. When he comes back hopefully we will have him for the rest of the season. When you have that talent you just have to keep yourself as fit and available as you possibly can.”

Rodgers appeared bemused by Sturridge’s suggestion during an interview with Talksport on Wednesday that his frequent muscle-injury problems may be hereditary. “I can only concentrate on his injury now and what my medical team here, who are fantastic, are telling me,” the manager said.

“He is just in the middle of recovering and we will see the length of time it takes. I’m not an expert on genetics or medicine, so I can’t comment. 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.”

Asked whether Sturridge’s absences could be psychological as well as physical, Rodgers replied: “He is probably speaking how he felt. That is the way of the world. The bottom line is that he is injured. He strained his calf. So he is injured. We will just wait and work with him until he gets back fit.”

Liverpool have struggled for form during Sturridge’s lay-off and Mario Balotelli’s 86th-minute equaliser against Swansea City in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday was their first goal in three matches at Anfield. “Gradually, as each day goes by, I sense we are getting better,” Rodgers said.

“With Daniel out, of course it is a miss, but it is also an opportunity, as we saw the other night. Fabio Borini was excellent, a real threat, and put in a wonderful cross for Mario’s goal. And Rickie Lambert, who hasn’t had many opportunities, his goals will come. He is working tirelessly every day, he had some nice touches and his goals will come.”