According to a recent report by the Independent, Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge would be allowed to play against Watford this weekend if the investigation into his alleged breach of betting regulations continue to drag on beyond this week. It is understood that the English forward was charged with misconduct by the Football Association recently as he allegedly breached one rule which involves giving out information relating to football that has been “obtained by virtue of his position” and “is not publicly available”.
Some sources have also reported that the offence relates to his loan move to West Bromwich Albion at the start of this year and Sturridge has until Tuesday to respond to the charge with an official response. It is believed that the process could take weeks as it is an uncommon case and so the English goal-getter will be allowed to play on Saturday at Vicarage Road.
This will come as a big boost for Liverpool as they need all the help they can get as they come up against a high-flying Watford side who are hard to beat on their home turf. The 29-year-old has received limited game time on the pitch so far this season with most of his appearances coming from the bench.
However, that hasn’t stopped him from making an impact in Jurgen Klopp’s first-team after the forward scored a few important goals during this campaign which includes his sensational strike against Chelsea that rescued a point for the Reds away at Stamford Bridge.
Sturridge is incredibly quick and has the ability to dribble with the ball out of tight areas to take shots at goal. His minutes to goals ratio is outstanding which shows how influential he can be for Klopp’s team even when he is operating on a restricted role from the bench.
As long as the English talent does not let his controversy off the pitch affect his performance, then Liverpool should look at utilizing him on a reserved role this weekend as he will be a great impact sub versus the Hornets. There is no doubt that Sturridge’s availability will be a huge boost for the Merseyside outfit as they look to stretch their unbeaten run in the Premier League to 13 matches on Saturday afternoon.
