Sterling could be rested until the summer, says Liverpool boss Rodgers

Liverpool are prepared to rest Raheem Sterling until the end of the season to allow the winger to recover from a thigh injury, Brendan Rodgers has revealed.

The 18-year-old, who has not started a game for the Reds since February’s Europa League defeat at Zenit Saint Petersburg, is set to miss at least two weeks of action due to a tear in his thigh muscle.

And Rodgers, whose side host West Ham on Sunday, is prepared to leave the England international out of his squad for the rest of the season if necessary.

“Raheem has an ongoing problem with a small tear at the top of his thigh,” said Rodgers.

“It has worsened and is something that, if he plays, could end up bigger and creating problems as he gets older. So we’ve a duty to the boy not to store up a problem for later.

“We felt it would be best to give him a two-week breather from the training to protect the injury. If he needs to rest until the end of the season, then that’ll happen.”