'Sturridge has dropped his level since Luis Suarez left'

The best scoring season in Sturridge's career was 2013/14, scoring 24 goals in Luis Suarez's final campaign at Anfield before completing a switch to Barcelona.

Since then, the England international has started 27 out of a possible 120 league games for Liverpool. Sturridge was handed a rare start in Sunday's 1-1 draw at Newcastle, but his development has worried Jamie Carragher.

'Because he doesn't play much now, whenever we talk about Sturridge we keep going back to that season when Liverpool nearly won the league, he was devastating with Luis Suarez', said the former Liverpool centre-back. 'I don't think that player is there now, whether that's due to injuries or not playing enough'.

'The reason he played today is because Roberto Firmino is not playing well. If Firmino is playing his normal level, then Sturridge doesn't play. Klopp doesn't fancy Sturridge, that's why he doesn't play', Carragher concluded.