Liverpool pleased with Daniel Sturridge's England exclusion
Brendan Rodgers will take to Melwood's training pitches with a spring in his step on Thursday, after hearing the news of his striker Daniel Sturridge being left out of Roy Hodgson's England squad.
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The Liverpool manager has fallen out with the England setup in the past, after Sturridge sustained a hip injury while training with his country last year. That minor injury was one of the earliest signs of the troublesome hip problem which, along with a thigh injury, sidelined the 26-year-old for the final six months of last season.
Sturridge bagged a brace in a 3-2 win over Aston Villa on Saturday, sparking concern from Rodgers that he would be used in both of England's upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers. The Ulsterman doesn't believe he is ready for so much game time after his long stint on the treatment table.
"Not at the moment, but the guys with England are intelligent enough to understand that. I'm sure at some point before they meet up, we'll have a little conversation," Rodgers told reporters yesterday.
"I don't speak so much to the international managers. When the players go away, I let them deal with it. They're highly qualified professionals who work at the level."
But Sturridge was left out of the English squad that will face Estonia and Lithuania. It is a temporary omission, and one that Three Lions' boss Hodgson hopes will pay dividends for the upcoming friendlies against Spain and France next month.
"The best way to have him for November is to leave him out for October," Hodgson said at the squad's unveiling.
"We can survive without him for the next two games. Our hope is that he will come to us in November super-fit, fully recovered and in great form."
Sturridge is expected to get a rest for the Reds' Thursday evening match against FC Sion in the Europa League, but is likely to return to the first-team picture for Sunday's trip across Stanley Park to face rival Everton.