Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is expecting striker Daniel Sturridge to return to his lineup at “some point in January”.

Unfortunately for the club, Sturridge’s return won’t come before Liverpool’s busy holiday fixture list which will see them play three matches in seven days (Burnley, Swansea City and Leicester City).

Liverpool have been struggling to score goals this season and the absence of their number one striker (since the summer sale of Luis Suarez to Barcelona) has been a particularly crucial blow to the Merseyside club.

Summer moves for Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli have not paid off, as the club has continually failed to score goals from its forward positions.

Brendan Rodgers has watched his side go from qualifying for Europe and fighting for the Premier League title during the 2013-14 season, to being knocked out of the Champions League group stages and falling to tenth place on the league table – nine points off from European qualification.

Despite the club’s sudden change in fortunes Rodgers sees a light at the end of the tunnel. The 41-year-old manager believes his side has shown improvements in recent matches, and also believes once Liverpool has its star striker back in the mix, they will be ready to make a serious run at the top four.

“For me the key is we are moving in the right direction with one defeat in eight,” Rodgers said. “So if we continue with that work-rate and mentality we will turn the draws into victories.”

“When we play our game and get back to that level we are a difficult team to play against.”

“Hopefully it will bring us in to what we have had in my time here, being stronger in the second half of the season.”

Rodgers then points out that the return to fitness of Daniel Sturridge will be key to Liverpool’s success moving forward this season, and he feels the striker is close to coming back into the squad.

“That will be just after the Christmas period,” Rodgers added.

“The first stage of his rehab was in Los Angeles, he’s gone to Boston and he will move on to a specialist facility there and hopefully in the early part of the New Year he will be back.”

“Some point in January we will get him back and that will be really exciting for this team.”