Liverpool 'need to buy' a new striker after latest Daniel Sturridge injury blow

Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson believes that Brendan Rodgers needs to bolster his forward options this summer in light of the persistent injury problems endured by Daniel Sturridge at Anfield.

Sturridge, who has already missed much of the 2014/15 campaign to date with calf and thigh problems respectively, was forced to withdraw from England's latest senior squad after scans revealed he had torn a hip muscle during Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Manchester United on March 22.

That latest blow, likely to result in Sturridge being sidelined for another month, leaves manager Rodgers with only the unconvincing trio of Fabio Borini, Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert as potential first-choice strikers and Lawrenson is in no doubt as to the need to strengthen in that area.

"If the injury to Daniel Sturridge has underlined one thing, it's that Liverpool need to buy a new frontline striker," he wrote in his latest column for the Liverpool Echo.

"It's a no-brainer. They need someone who is pacey, and that's so important in the modern game. Sturridge is probably always going to be quite brittle when it comes to fitness, so we need someone who is going to take the burden off him."

Although Lawrenson does not specify exactly which players he believes should be targeted when the transfer window reopens in June, the club have recently been linked with a possible move for Ciro Immobile of Borussia Dortmund and are also believed to be monitoring Theo Walcott's latest contract saga.

Liverpool's dearth of quality like-for-like replacements for Sturridge will likely result in Raheem Sterling switching back to a central role for their next Premier League game against in-form Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Sterling notched his first international goal during the 4-0 Euro 2016 qualifying rout of Lithuania on Friday, yet will play no part in England's friendly against Italy later this week.

The versatile attacker need another injection on a long-term toe injury for the match and it was agreed prior to the international break that he would not feature in Turin.