Brendan Rodgers believes that Daniel Sturridge returning to his best form will provide Liverpool with a "big boost" for the remainder of the season.

The England international striker has endured a frustrating campaign to date due to injury problems, spending five months on the sidelines before returning to action at the end of January.

Having found the net twice since being integrated back into the first-team fold, including a volley in the Reds' 2-1 FA Cup victory over Crystal Palace this evening, Rodgers is hopeful that Sturridge can soon get back to his imperious best.

"He's working his way back, it's just about extending his game time," talkSPORT quotes the Northern Irishman as saying. "I've got to do that because you risk re-injuring him and that's something we can't afford.

"You can see his qualities - his speed, his touch and he doesn't need too many chances to score. The team is functioning at a high level at the moment and him coming back gives us a big boost in this part of the season."

Sturridge has now made seven appearances for Liverpool in all competitions this term.