Manager Brendan Rodgers said Thursday that Sturridge (thigh) is back in training, but he has no specific return date as he works his way back to fitness. "Time will tell. We just want him fit and there's no timeline on that as such," Rodgers said. "He's working hard, he's back in the final stages of his rehab here at the club, but there is no time on it yet."

Rodgers said earlier this month that Sturridge would return some time in January, but with Saturday's match against Aston Villa highly unlikely, as well as Tuesday's Capital One Cup match against Chelsea, Sturridge's last chance to hit that timeline will come Jan. 31 against West Ham at Anfield. Given the lengthy time away -- he's been out since August due to the ailment -- he's unlikely to start in his first match back.

Manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed after Sunday's match against Arsenal that Sturridge (groin) is expected to return sometime in January. "That will probably be just after the Christmas period. The first phase of his rehab was out in LA where we did some specific work with him there," Rodgers said. "He's gone to Boston to pick up the next stage, then he'll move on again to a specialist facility out there and hopefully in the early part of the New Year he'll be back and be somewhere close to being fit and playing. At some stage in January, we'll look to get Dan back. That will be really exciting for this team."

Sturridge has not played since Aug. 31, as he dealt with a calf injury and then picked up a thigh issue during his rehab. His return will obviously be a huge boost to a Liverpool side currently sitting 11th in the table, though it's unclear how quickly he'll be inserted back into the starting XI.

Sturridge has been sent to Boston to continue his recovery from a thigh injury with the Boston Red Sox training staff in the hopes of getting him fit by January, ESPN FC reports.

Sturridge previously rehabbed in Los Angeles for some warm-weather training, but he will now head to Boston to work with specialists who may be able to end his consistent thigh issues. Sturridge was initially expected to return by New Year's Day, but that timeframe appears unlikely at this point.

Sturridge (thigh) is expected to be sidelined for the rest of the calendar year, The Guardian reports.

Sturridge is dealing with a slight tear in his thigh as this is remarkably the ninth thigh injury that has plagued him over his career. His rough timetable for a return is scheduled for the Jan. 1 match against Leicester City.

Sturridge will not return Saturday against Crystal Palace after suffering a thigh injury during training, according to James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo. Sturridge will undergo additional scans Wednesday to determine the extent of the injury.

Sturridge suffered the initial thigh injury during the September international break, and then picked up a calf issue while he was rehabbing. He said last week that he would return to face Crystal Palace this Saturday, but that appears no longer to be the case. Mario Balotelli will continue to lead the Liverpool attack.

Sturridge said Saturday that he will be fit for face Cyrstal Palace on Nov. 23, according to James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo.

Sturridge will obviously not play Saturday against Chelsea, but he returns for Liverpool's next match after the international break. He will not play for England during the break, giving him extra time to recover from the calf injury he suffered while recovering from a thigh issue.

Sturridge will not play in Saturday's Premier League match against Chelsea due to his ongoing calf issue. "He's out on the field today with the rehab team, but he's moving very well," manager Brendan Rodgers said Thursday. "But he's probably a little bit of time away."

Liverpool are desperate to get Sturridge back on the pitch, but he will be held out once again with the hope that he'll be fully fit after the upcoming international break. Mario Balotelli is expected to start up front once again, with Fabio Borini another possibility.