Liverpool need 'top-level striker'

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Liverpool need a top-level striker who can play every week and Daniel Sturridge could lose his role as the club's leading man after an injury-hit season, manager Brendan Rodgers has said.

Liverpool scored 101 Premier League goals last season, with Sturridge and Luis Suarez netting 52 between them to help Rodgers's side finished runners-up to Manchester City.

However, Rodgers failed to replace Suarez following his move to Barcelona and forwards Sturridge, Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini have scored eight league goals between them as Liverpool have slipped out of contention for Champions League qualification.

"I need one that is going to be playing and at a top level every week," Rodgers told reporters. "It's simple, we need more of a scoring threat.

"We haven't scored enough goals this year. If the sequence goes on we are on course to be around 60 goals down on last year. That's a huge amount.

"We missed it immensely this year and obviously that has affected results. In the summer we have to try and find goals again."

England international Sturridge has been fit to start only five league games since August 31 because of a series of muscle injuries, mainly to his thigh and calf.

The 25-year-old will miss Liverpool's trip to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday with a hip problem and Rodgers said he is "unsure" if Sturridge will play again this season.

"He has missed a lot of the season so we need to assess it," Rodgers said. "We have to hope with Daniel that this year was just an unlucky season and he can come back super-fit and super-strong because he has an immense talent.

"You can't argue with that. He can be as good as any striker in the world with his talent."