Daniel Sturridge Suffers Fresh Injury Setback as Liverpool Concerns Deepen

Daniel Sturridge's hopes of making his long-awaited Liverpool return appear to have been dashed amid reports the striker broke down in training on Tuesday.

Sturridge, 25, has not featured for his club since the end of August after suffering a thigh problem while on international duty.

His return was further delayed by a calf problem he suffered in October but he appeared poised to return against Crystal Palace on Sunday after returning to first team training.

However, according to reports in the Daily Telegraph and the Liverpool Echo, the England international limped out of training with a problem to the same thigh he suffered from earlier in the season.

Reports suggest Sturridge will undergo a scan on Wednesday to determine the severity of the problem.

Sturridge has not played since the 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on 31 August. In that time, Liverpool's forward options of Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini have failed to register a single Premier League goal between them.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers could also be without Balotelli for the visit to Selhurst Park. The Italian international suffered a hamstring problem while on international duty and returned to Liverpool's Melwood facilities on Friday.