Reuters
Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge is optimistic of returning from injury for the key clash against former team mates and title rivals Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday in a boost for the Premier League leaders.
“Hopefully this weekend I’ll be back,” the league’s second top scorer, with 20 goals to team mate Luis Suarez’s 30, told children in a question and answer session at a sponsor event for the club.
“I’m not too sure if he’ll play me or not,” he added when asked whether manager Brendan Rodgers was likely to select him. “We’ll have to see.”
Liverpool, chasing their first league title since 1990, have won their last 11 matches and are five points clear of second placed Chelsea with four games remaining.
Third-placed Manchester City are a further point adrift with a game in hand.
Sturridge missed Liverpool’s 3-2 win at Norwich City last weekend due to a muscle strain the England forward picked up in the previous 3-2 win over Manchester City.
The 24-year-old has formed a lethal partnership with Suarez since joining Liverpool from Chelsea in January last year and he said he would have no problem celebrating if Liverpool won.
“I would like to show respect to my former club but if I were to come on and score in the last minute I’m going to be on a mad one, aren’t I?,” he said.
“I don’t know if I could control myself if that happened.”
Chelsea have lost regular goalkeeper Petr Cech for the rest of the season and are also without injured skipper John Terry in defence.
Manager Jose Mourinho has suggested the Londoners could field a second string team, with Chelsea more focused on their Champions League home semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.
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