Report: Liverpool's Sturridge to miss 1 month with hip injury

Daniel Sturridge could be set for another lengthy spell on the sidelines after injuring his hip during Liverpool's loss to Manchester United.

The team have yet to confirm the severity of the injury, but it appears Sturridge could miss a month of action after he reportedly suffered a slight muscle tear in the joint and was forced to pull out of England's upcoming Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania.

"I'm disappointed for Daniel because he didn't really feel that it was any problem," England manager Roy Hodgson told reporters.

"When he did the scan he was devastated as he didn't want to leave. He has a slight tear and you can't play through that."

The loss of Sturridge has the potential of being a damaging blow to Liverpool's aspirations in the Champions League and FA Cup if the reported prognosis is true. The club have several crucial matches on the horizon, with an away match to Arsenal in the Premier League followed by their quarterfinal encounter with Blackburn Rovers and a potential semifinal match against Aston Villa in the FA Cup.

Liverpool, however, are accustomed to life without Sturridge after he missed majority of the season with a pair of injuries.

His absence could represent one final opportunity for Mario Balotelli to make an impact on the squad after an utterly disappointing first season with Liverpool. He's only started one of his past 15 matches and will be eager to add to his lone goal in the Premier League.