Daniel Sturridge has been out since September (Picture: Getty)

Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson has warned Reds fans not to be placing their hopes on Daniel Sturridge to save their ‘backwards’ season.

Brendan Rodgers’ side pushed Manchester City all the way in pursuit of the Premier League title last term, but have struggled for consistency this year, sitting ninth in the table while they crashed out of the Champions League on Tuesday.

The Reds have found it tough following the summer departure of last season’s top goalscorer Luis Suarez to Barcelona, while Sturridge has been sidelined through injury since the beginning of September.

But with the striker due back at some point in the New Year, Lawrenson says things have become so bad at Anfield even Sturridge won’t save their season.

‘Sturridge is getting built up as Liverpool’s saviour because they have struggled in his absence,’ he said.

‘But he won’t be. We don’t even know when he will be back.’

And Lawrenson also hit out at the rest of the Liverpool players for not pulling their weight.

‘Some of Liverpool’s key players have lost form but what has happened this season shows how much they relied on Suarez and Sturridge – those lads were clearly more than just 50 per cent of the goals, they were 50 per cent of the whole team,’ he continued.

‘That’s the only conclusion you can draw from what has happened without them.

‘Last year Liverpool built up such momentum that it felt like he could just send the players out and they would sort it.

‘Now you look at it and it seems like the same scenario in reverse – they are going backwards just as fast as they went forwards last season.’

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