The England international, out of action for almost a month, could return for the trip to St Jakob-Park, a venue where the Swiss side have claimed the scalps of Chelsea & Tottenham

Daniel Sturridge could be in line to give Liverpool a welcome boost ahead of their Champions League trip to Basel on Wednesday.

Sturridge has not featured in his club’s last five matches after sustaining a thigh injury while on international duty with England at the beginning of September, and Brendan Rodgers’s side have struggled in the absence of a player who has netted 36 goals in 52 appearances since moving to Anfield.

The Merseysiders’ unconvincing start to the new campaign has heralded just seven points from their opening six Premier League games and they required an injury-time penalty from captain Steven Gerrard to beat Ludogorets 2-1 in their Champions League opener a fortnight ago.

But their talisman Sturridge is edging closer to a much-anticipated return – with Rodgers revealing in the aftermath of Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Everton on Saturday that the 25-year-old could feature in Switzerland.

“He wasn’t really close for this game [the Merseyside derby],” said the Northern Irishman. “I’ll see how he is [for Basel]. He wasn’t far away for Everton, but he certainly wasn’t fit enough to be on the bench.

“Daniel is obviously a top talent – and he’s not far away from being back playing.”

Sturridge is one of a number of Liverpool players currently struggling with injury, and Rodgers looks set to be without Emre Can (ankle), as well as Glen Johnson and Joe Allen (both knee), at St Jakob-Park.

Mario Balotelli, who scored his first Liverpool goal in the victory over Ludogorets, is likely to lead the line once again, though will be hoping he is more clinical on Wednesday than he was against Everton, where he had 10 efforts on goal without scoring.

In contrast to Liverpool’s domestic struggles, Basel go into Wednesday’s clash top of the Swiss Super League.

However, Paulo Sousa’s team were thumped 5-1 by Real Madrid in their first group game as the reigning European champions ran riot in the first half at the Santiago Bernabeu.

That result makes Wednesday’s fixture even more crucial for Basel, with Sousa’s men widely expected to be in a two-way battle with Liverpool for second place in Group B behind Real.

History is on Basel’s side, though, as Liverpool – and Gerrard in particular – do not have fond memories of St Jakob-Park.

A below-par Gerrard was substituted at half-time in his side’s last visit to Basel back in November 2002 – a game Liverpool needed to win to qualify from their Champions League pool.

Basel stormed into a 3-0 lead after just 29 minutes and, although a second-half fightback enabled Liverpool to draw 3-3, that was not enough to prevent their elimination to the Uefa Cup.

Some 12 years on, Gerrard – the only surviving member of that Liverpool team – is sure to be determined to make amends for what he has labelled one of the worst performances of his career, while Basel’s recent victories over the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham show they are still no pushovers.

The full-back says he was eager to set a good example following the racism row with the striker and believes Juventus can win the Champions League

Patrice Evra insists he does not hold a grudge against Luis Suarez following the racism row during their Premier League days.

Suarez accrued an eight-game ban and fine after being found guilty of racially abusing Evra during a Premier League clash between Liverpool and Manchester United at Old Trafford.

“Suarez called me negro seven times. I’ve had bananas thrown, I’ve had shouts from behind me, but I’ve never taken it on board: it’s the ignorance of those who are afraid of something different, I understand that,” Evra told La Repubblica.

“Suarez, however, was an opponent and I was going to react to him. I asked myself: what should I do? Give him a punch that would be seen around the world, that will earn a two-year ban, that all the kids will see?

“I forgave him. I also voted him as the best player in the Premier League. A player doesn’t hold a grudge, and the man does not concern me, whether he is racist or not.”

Evra was involved in controversy with the France side at World Cup 2010 following a significant bust-up with coach Raymond Domenech, which prompted player strikes and ultimately a ban from international fixtures for the Juventus man.

Evra has made it clear that he felt he was doing his duty as captain by taking the fall-out from the incident, explaining:  “With Domenech in 2010, I did what the group decided a captain should do. I told them to go on holiday; that I would take the flak.”

The 33-year-old also believes Juventus can go all the way in the Champions League as he aims to reach a remarkable fifth final in the competition, having previously played in three for Manchester United and one for Monaco.

“I live in the present, because the past is regret and the future is anxiety. I don’t sell dreams to the fans, but – why not? It’s a competition so crazy that it seems incredible to have played in four finals,” he added.

The Reds skipper admits that he has been inhibited by opponents at times this season but believes that his performance against Everton proves that he still has plenty to offer

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has hit back at his critics, insisting that he is far from past it after his side’s 1-1 draw with Everton.

The 34-year-old has been criticised for his performances this season as the Reds have struggled with just two wins in six Premier League games.

Gerrard had appeared to put his side on track with a fine free kick in the 65th minute of Saturday’s Merseyside derby, only for Phil Jagielka to equalise with a stunning half-volley at the death, and, after one of his better showings this season, the Liverpool skipper said that those who had written him off had spoken too soon.

“I’ll agree with the constructive criticism and I’ve been stifled in a couple of games when people have followed me around and I haven’t been able to shake them off,” he told the press.

“But then some people take it too far and say ‘he’s 34, he can’t run and he’s finished’.

“I can still compete with the best players around. It’s nice to remind people that although I’m 34, I can still run, I can still play and I can compete with the best players around.”