Owen: Liverpool withholding Sturridge information

Matt Stead

Michael Owen has accused Liverpool of withholding information regarding Daniel Sturridge’s injury issues.

Sturridge has recently returned to the Liverpool first team after his ongoing struggle with injuries.

The England international has spent most of the season on the sidelines with three separate issues, and has made just four appearances under Jurgen Klopp since the manager’s appointment in October.

Speaking to BT Sport, Owen believes that Sturridge has been subject to “potentially unfair” criticism, and that conclusions should be drawn only after Liverpool release more information on their striker’s problems.

“I wish we knew a bit more,” he said. ‘We all get texts on our phones saying Sturridge has done this or that, but it is all people guessing. I find it hard to have a view until we find out what’s wrong. The club have not really said. Until we know exactly what problems he has had or has got, it is fuelling a lot of rumours.

“People are saying things that are potentially unfair. I have been injured before and if he is getting muscle injuries then I have every sympathy because they are debilitating. You cannot play on with muscle injuries, they just tear, tear and tear until they erupt. It is the worst thing ever.

“However, if he has joint pain – an ankle, a knee and a hip – it can be manageable. It is all about pain thresholds. We have not really been given the information so I do wince a little bit when I see people having a real go.

“He is running out of time and with a dozen games left, if he got injured between now and the end of the season, you would have to say it is not going to happen.

“If he gets fit, he could be the fly in the ointment in terms of Rooney, Vardy and Kane. He has a lot of class and would shoot right back into the reckoning.”