Daniel Sturridge: What on earth is going on?

Daniel Sturridge was absent from England training on Wednesday. The Liverpool striker had gone four months without an injury – his longest spell since June 2014 – and was approaching his best form for club. The 26-year-old was selected in Roy Hodgson’s 26-man provisional squad for the upcoming European Championship, and this latest setback has put his participation in doubt. Well, according to some newspapers. Others aren’t so sure…

– John Cross of the Daily Mirror goes big with the reports that Sturridge is now ‘in serious danger’ of missing the Euros. He writes that the striker is a ‘major doubt’ after suffering a calf injury during Liverpool’s Europa League defeat to Sevilla last week.

‘There are concerns about Sturridge’s confidence in his body after so many injuries, despite the player insisting he is desperate to go to the Euros,’ writes Cross, who confirms that Sturridge has been ruled out of the friendly against Australia on Friday.

– Matt Lawton and Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail claim that Sturridge is only ‘in danger’ – not ‘serious danger’ – of missing this summer’s tournament. The pair also report that the striker is only ‘a doubt’ for the Australia friendly, and that ‘the extent of the injury is unclear’.

– Mark Ogden and Chris Bascombe, of The Independent and the Daily Telegraphrespectively, are in agreement that Sturridge is not ‘in danger’, but has simply suffered a ‘fitness scare’. Ogden does not rule Sturridge out of Friday’s international friendly, reporting only that he ‘has become a doubt for the fixture’ after missing training. Manager Roy Hodgson ‘is confident that Sturridge will be available to feature,’ apparently.

Bascombe adds that ‘it remains to be seen how serious Sturridge’s knock is,’ and that ‘indications’ are his absence from training was only ‘precautionary’.

– Ian Doyle of the Liverpool Echo confirms Sturridge did not attend England training, but claimed that he is ‘expected to be available’ on Friday, and that the forward was ‘rested’, along with Gary Cahill, only ‘as a precaution’.

– Neil Ashton of The Sun goes rogue, claiming that Sturridge ‘is NOT injured’, complete with emboldened capitals and everything. ‘It is claimed Sturridge, 26, is having treatment and will be available for selection against Australia on Friday,’ he adds.