Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge says that there should be no question about whether Daniel Sturridge starts against Villarreal in the second leg of the Europa League semi-final tie on Thursday night.
Sturridge did not play in the first leg in Spain, and although he did play the full 90 minutes against Swansea at the weekend, he did not perform at his best with his manager Jurgen Klopp taking the blame for the striker walking straight down the tunnel and not thanking the fans after the 3-1 defeat. Writing in his column for the Liverpool Echo, Aldo said:
“Daniel Sturridge must start against Villarreal, it’s as simple as that.We need to score, we need to be on the front foot, and so our best striker has to be on the pitch.”
“I was a bit surprised he wasn’t used over in Spain, but I don’t expect a repeat at Anfield. He’ll be in, I’m sure, and I would back him to do the business.”
Sturridge goals record when fit this season speaks for itself. He has 8 goals in 10 starts in the Premier League while he has scored 12 goals in total. Reds fans will be hoping he will be able to turn around the tie on Thursday night with a place in the Europa League final up for grabs.