Brendan Rodgers believes Liverpool's system is "made for Sturridge"

Brendan Rodgers has backed striker Daniel Sturridge to thrive as the focal point of Liverpool's attack when he adapts to the Reds' 3-4-3 approach and reaches full fitness over the coming weeks.

Brendan Rodgers believes Liverpool's system is "made for Sturridge"
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By Stephen Killen

Brendan Rodgers has backed striker Daniel Sturridge to thrive as the focal point of Liverpool's attack when he adapts to the Reds' 3-4-3 approach and reaches full fitness over the coming weeks.

Sturridge started Sunday's victory over Manchester City on the substitutes' bench before coming on to replace Lazar Markovic in the minutes that followed Philippe Coutinho's sublime winner at the Kop end and scored a brilliant header against Burnley.

It was Sturridge's ninth appearance since coming back from consecutive injuries which had kept the striker sidelined for five months.

Prior to his return against West Ham United in early February, the 25-year-old's last outing for Liverpool was in the 3-0 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on August 31.

The team he returned to had been transformed, with a flat back-four switched to three central defenders flanked by wing-backs and, further foward, a three-pronged attack implemented.

Rodgers sternly believes the formation is made for talisman Sturridge - and insists the forward will add a new dimension when he reaches peak fitness and is firing on all cylinders.

"Daniel is not fully fit yet and it is difficult for him because these are not training games for him to get fit," Rodgers said.

"He's excited by the new system. Put a fully fit Daniel Sturridge into that system and it lights it up again. Come the end of this week Daniel will be on a great run and able to play every game and be able to train.

"He wasn't quite ready for the Premier League so then we were trying to fit him in in games."

Rodgers added: "The Europa League was a great chance to get some game time into him, but after five months out and with his history here that was something we had to think of.

"The last thing we wanted to do was break him. He felt good on Sunday on the back of playing Thursday. He's very determined to play and when you see a fully fit Daniel, he will be brilliant."