Back when life was just that little bit easier for Brendan Rodgers and the loyal Anfield faithful, Liverpool Football Club could seemingly do no wrong in the striking department when relying upon the likes of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge.

The famed ‘SAS’ partnership up-top for the Reds may have been aided in part by the likes of Raheem Sterling and Coutinho throughout the 2013/14 campaign, yet Rodgers’ dazzling attack-minded duo nevertheless stole most of the headlines on Merseyside due to their tenacious nature in the final third and collective reliability in one-on-one situations.

Although Brendan Rodgers can obviously no longer call upon Luis Suarez to do the business at Anfield these days – thanks to the undeniable lure of Barcelona and the Nou Camp in general – half of Liverpool’s ‘SAS’ duo still resides at the club today…

Daniel Sturridge has certainly had a tough time side-lined with injury since his Uruguayan strike-partner made the switch to La Liga two summers ago, and whether or not the former England international still has what it takes to do the business for Liverpool simply remains to be decided.

However, if the former Manchester City and Chelsea man does in fact return to full fitness sooner rather than later for the Reds, can Daniel Sturridge ultimately bring the good times back at Liverpool F.C. across the 2015/16 campaign?

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Well, considering the fact that the 25-year-old striker has already scored a grand total of 40 goals in only 66 games in Reds colours, the Anfield faithful will certainly be praying for a rapid return to first team action for Daniel Sturridge. With such an asset on board, Brendan Rodgers’ side look a far more complete outfit to say the very least.

The injury-ridden Liverpool front-man possesses that all important striker’s instinct that every top Premier League club simply has to have among their ranks to be successful at the highest level. When it comes to beating the last man with his quick turn of pace, linking up intelligently with his teammates in the final third, and simply sending the ball straight into the back of the net at a truly impressive rate – Daniel Sturridge rarely let’s his team down.

His latest set of injuries on Merseyside therefore arrive in distinctly disappointing fashion for all the Reds fans out there. The ex-Stamford Bridge bench-warmer seemingly found his perfect home at Liverpool. The manager, staff and fans alike all proved liberal in their admiration for the player in question, which subsequently gave Sturridge the ideal stage to go out and do his thing in-front of the Anfield faithful.

In light of such a glowing reputation for the Englishman at Liverpool, the 25-year-old forward will likely prove a relative hit once again, as soon as he returns to the first team fold under Brendan Rodgers. The player himself was reportedly expected to make his come-back at some point throughout September, but seeing as Daniel Sturridge’s recent injury plight has so far proved much more prolonged than most would have initially expected, putting a concrete time on the striker’s hotly anticipated return ultimately seems unwise at best.

However, just how will the current Anfield favourite eventually perform without a certain Luis Suarez in place to boost his confidence?

The likes of Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino and Coutinho will certainly go a long way in aiding Daniel Sturridge once the England striker finally puts his injury worries full behind him this campaign, but even though such news won’t be warmly welcomed among the Anfield faithful any time soon, neither of those aforementioned stars are likely to achieve that Suarez-impact at Liverpool.

Sturridge is arguably a very good striker who was made to look great when playing alongside some world class company in Luis Suarez. His goal ratio simply won’t turn out so amazingly without such a well-balanced strike-partner to do the business with up-top this season, which will ultimately fail to bring the good times back to Merseyside as rapidly as certain Liverpool fans may already be hoping for.

A place among the Premier League’s top-four remains an undeniably tough nut to crack after all, especially when the rest of Liverpool’s current batch of players simply don’t compare to former Reds squads of seasons past.

None of that means the determined no. 15 is destined to fail at Anfield this term though – for when the 25-year-old hit-man truly finds his form in front of goal – the outcome is usually pretty effective to say the least. However, with all things considered from a realistic perspective, Daniel Sturridge simply won’t be able to transform Liverpool's fortunes overnight – even if his much awaited return does improve Brendan Rodgers’ options somewhat in 2015/16.

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