The England striker is still battling to overcome the hamstring injury that he suffered against Manchester City on April 13 and may miss this Monday’s game

Brendan Rodgers is still waiting on the fitness of Daniel Sturridge ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Crystal Palace on Monday.

The England international limped out of his team’s 3-2 win over Manchester City on April 13 with a hamstring problem, and then missed the 3-2 victory at Norwich City the following week.

Sturridge was only fit enough for a place on the bench against Chelsea last Sunday, and was introduced into the action just before the hour mark as Liverpool went down 2-0 to lose control of the Premier League title race.

On Friday, Rodgers conceded that the striker should not have played any part in the loss to Jose Mourinho’s side, and revealed that he remained a doubt for Monday’s crucial fixture at Selhurst Park.

“We’ll see over the next 48 hours,” Rodgers told reporters. “He hadn’t trained since he got injured, so it was a bit much (against Chelsea).

“He had worked really hard to get back and we needed something on the bench that could support us and help us in the game but unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.

“But he’s certainly in a much better place. He’s worked tirelessly this week with the medical team. He re-joins the group and we’ll see how he is come Monday.”

Sturridge’s strike partner Luis Suarez was named PFA Player of the Year on Sunday, after a season that has seen him net 30 goals in 31 Premier League appearances to date.

And Rodgers revealed the Uruguayan was thrilled that his stellar form has been recognised.

“Congratulations to him,” added the former Swansea City boss. “It was an award that was really special for him because it came from his peers.

“He has been outstanding in all my time here and obviously, in particular, this season.

“So it was very well deserved and I know he really respected it, coming from the players in this country. I know he’s happy.”

Goal takes a look at the best players to select or avoid, the bargain buys and the top choice for captain’s double points ahead of this week’s Premier League action

Back from injury and back with a bang, Yaya Toure (9.0) scored and assisted against Crystal Palace last time out to continue his dominant form this season despite a brief lay-off. The Manchester City midfielder has contributed to a goal every 107 minutes this season and a favourable double gameweek means the Ivorian is a must-have.

Like Toure – and most of this week’s suggestions – Juan Mata (10.0) will benefit from two fixtures this gameweek, and Manchester United have particularly appetising home fixtures against Sunderland and Hull City. The Spaniard has five goals in his last four games, plus two assists, and has been lethal against Premier League minnows.

Another player returning from injury is Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil (10.0), and the German also made a big impact in his first game back. Looking refreshed and revitalised, he scored and assisted against Newcastle and should relish a home match against struggling West Brom.

Sergio Aguero (10.5) did not quite find his rhythm at Selhurst Park on Sunday and had just three shots before being substituted. But matches against Everton and Hull this week make the Argentine a valuable commodity as the Fantasy Football season races towards its conclusion, and if he can re-find his old form he could be decisive.

Tottenham’s explosive winger Andros Townsend (4.5) will undergo ankle surgery and miss the next 10 weeks, ruling him out of the World Cup and Spurs’ final games of the season. The England international had found his game-time limited under soon-to-be-axed head coach Tim Sherwood though.

Any hope that Ryan Giggs’ caretaker manager duties might prompt a return to form for Marouane Fellaini (8.0) were quickly dispelled when the Belgian failed to even make the 18-man matchday squad against Norwich City. It’s imperative to stock up on United players this week, all bar the afro’d one.

Everton have been solid and reliable at home, conceding just 16 goals all season, but the visit of a rampant Man City side chasing the title could cause big problems for Leighton Baines (7.0) & co. The Toffees conceded twice against Southampton, and three times against Palace, and have looked shaky at the back in the absence of Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin.

Jose Mourinho’s preoccupation with the Champions League has seen him sacrifice the club’s Premier League campaign. Wanting to keep his first-teamers wrapped in cotton wool, Gary Cahill (5.5) leads the a host of players likely to be rested against lowly Norwich, with Tomas Kalas impressive enough at Anfield to keep his spot.

Rampaging down the flank from right-back, Phil Jones (5.0) created two chances for his team-mates on top of an assist against Norwich. He stands out as the United defender with the biggest potential gains this week, with home matches against bottom-half teams providing the opportunity for more clean sheets and even goals.

It is not just the Manchester clubs who play twice this gameweek, and West Brom playmaker Morgan Amalfitano (5.0) represents a useful differential. The Frenchman has scored or assisted in four of his last five league outings. Team-mate Ben Foster (4.5), meanwhile, offers a cheap route to potentially two clean sheets.

Differentials will decide Fantasy Football leagues this week, and the underrated Aleksandar Kolarov (5.0) could be a smart alternative to the likes of Pablo Zabaleta, who has been selected by a whopping 26.8 per cent of players compared to just 2.2% for the Serb. No defender in the Premier League has recorded more assists than Kolarov’s six this season.

Sunderland forward Connor Wickham (4.5) is making supporters of the Black Cats believe in miracles. The youngster, who had been on two loan spells this season in the lower divisions, was returned to the fold by manager Gus Poyet and has netted five goals in his last three matches. He’ll be expected to continue that form in a double gameweek.

Matches against Sunderland and Hull City means Wayne Rooney (8.5) is impossible to ignore. The England international was lively in his last outing, scoring twice, and has been in excellent form recently. His double against Norwich was his third brace in his last four appearances, and he has scored or assisted nine goals in his last eight games. The 28-year-old has contributed to a goal every 84 minutes – the best rate of any United player – and has never lost to either the Black Cats or Hull, scoring six times in four games against the latter.
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The Uruguayan says he is paying no attention to the speculation surrounding his future at Anfield and is thinking only of the Premier League title and this summer’s World Cup

Luis Suarez insists he is happy at Liverpool, despite reports linking with him a summer move to Real Madrid.

The Uruguayan has been in sparkling form this season, with his 30 Premier League goals firing Liverpool to the top of the table with two matches remaining.

Speculation was rife that the striker would leave Anfield last year after he went public with his desire to play Champions League football, but Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers refused to allow his departure and the striker signed a new long-term contract in December. 

Suarez’s performances this term had led to rumours resurfacing of a possible transfer after the World Cup, with Madrid reported to be interested in acquiring his services.

In December, Goal revealed that the Uruguayan’s new deal includes a release clause which can only be triggered by a non-English club. 

However, with Liverpool now guaranteed to be in next season’s Champions League, the 27-year-old has spoken of his happiness with life on Merseyside. 

“I’m happy with my family. I’m OK with them wherever I am. I’m playing for Liverpool and up next it’s the World Cup. That’s all I’m thinking about. You won’t get anything out of me,” he told Uruguayan television station Canal 10. 

Suarez also reiterated his frustration with Liverpool’s defeat to Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday, though he remains optimistic about their chances of winning the Premier League title.

“We knew Manchester City were a difficult rival, but they let you play a lot more than Chelsea do,” he added.

“We knew Chelsea were going to be the most difficult rival in the final few weeks. Chelsea were very tight at the back, very compact. It made life very difficult for us.

“What made me angry was that right from kick-off, they were keen on wasting time. You’d pass them the ball for them to take a throw-in and they’d leave it pass by them.

“Now we just have to wait for Manchester City to drop a point or two because their goal difference is bigger. And we also have to focus on winning everything we have to play for.”