Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp clarifies Daniel Sturridge comments

Jurgen Klopp has insisted that his comments about Daniel Sturridge learning the difference between “serious pain and pain” weren’t a criticism of the Liverpool striker.

The Reds manager discussed Sturridge’s injury woes during his pre-match media conference on Friday ahead of Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Swansea City at Anfield on Sunday.

I have only been here for six weeks and we are in a different situation when we talk about Daniel. It is not because of his qualities, it is only because of his history

Jurgen Klopp

The England international missed their 2-1 win against Bordeaux last week due to a foot injury after the former Chelsea and Manchester City man had been tipped to make a long-awaited return from a knee problem.

However, perhaps inspired by his manager’s comments to the media, Sturridge was named among the substitutes for the visit of Swansea before he came on for the final 19 minutes of the victory at Anfield.

And Klopp insisted that Sturridge must be treated differently to his Liverpool team-mates given his history of injuries, adding that the player and the staff will work together.

“Maybe it was my fault because of the language but I thought I had said ‘we all have to learn’,” Klopp is quoted as saying by Liverpool Echo.

“I read somewhere that ‘Daniel Sturridge has to learn’ what is serious pain and what is pain. We all have to learn. That is what we have to do.

“With his injury history, he has had 20 injuries, you cannot be treated like a normal player. If someone has more injuries than someone else, then they will be more in doubt about things that happen.

“I have only been here for six weeks and we are in a different situation when we talk about Daniel. It is not because of his qualities, it is only because of his history.

“That is what we try to do together. Nobody is alone at Melwood. We are all together. We have to give the right advice in the right moment. When we all decide ‘yes, go’ then we have to trust each other.

“That’s what we will all learn and do better and better and better. That’s what I was trying to say. That we will all learn, not just Daniel.”

Sturridge has scored two goals in four Premier League games this season.