Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has revealed his lead striker Daniel Sturridge may not be fully fit until the start of next season and suggested he needs to manage the 25-year-old with caution in the remaining games of this campaign.
Sturridge has started just seven Premier League games this season and scored four goals for Liverpool, which is a huge dip on his numbers from last season as he scored 21 times in 29 appearances.
A succession of injuries have hampered Sturridge's progress and even though he is in contention to play some part in Liverpool's Premier League match against Newcastle on Monday, Rodgers has suggested the marksman is a long way short of full fitness.
"When you're out for that length of time, it maybe takes you the same amount of time to get back again," Rodgers told reporters. "The key for him was to get back and be fit, but he needs a good pre-season and hopefully he'll be fine for next season. Until that point, we have to maximise what we can get out of him."
Rodgers went on to dismiss the idea that Sturridge is reluctant to play through the pain barrier with an injury, as he suggested poor luck as much as physical failings are to blame for his ongoing fitness issues.
"Everybody is different when they get injured and how they deal with it," Rodgers said. "A player will never be 100 percent fit when he plays. They're always carrying something.
"If it hinders performance, then you can only trust the player that he cannot give any more or they can't operate at the level they want to because of injury.
"With Daniel, there's been a number of injuries that he's had and that's before he came here. He had a fairly sustained run last season and served us well, but this season has been difficult.
"He just needs to find a way to physically and mentally try to keep himself as fit as he can, but sometimes that isn't all down to you. Sometimes it's about luck as well."
Rodgers needs to ensure he has Sturridge at his best for next weekend's FA Cup semifinal against Aston Villa at Wembley and he confirmed he is not considering resting the forward for the Newcastle fixture.
"I won't spare anyone if I feel they can contribute and be effective for us," added the Liverpool boss. "If it fits the work of the team, then I'll do that. If he's physically fit to perform, that's what's important to me.
"Then it's a case of how we think he can be best used, whether that's from the start or coming off the bench, until he is super-fit."