“Daniel has pulled his calf,” Rodgers told the ECHO.
“He’s looking at being out for another two to four weeks.
“It’s a big blow as we were looking forward to welcoming Daniel back. He has worked tirelessly.
“But we have other players training hard and working hard and we will turn to them. It’s why we bulked up the squad in the summer.”
Sturridge, who plundered 21 Premier League goals last season, has been sorely missed since his last appearance for the Reds in the 3-0 win at Tottenham in late August,
In his absence, they have won just three of their seven matches in all competitions.
Mario Balotelli has struggled to lead the line on his own and has yet to open his Premier League account for the club.
However, Rodgers is confident the £16million Italian frontman will start to deliver the goods as the Reds enter a crucial period of seven games in 21 days.
“Mario is doing his best,” Rodgers said.
“He has worked very hard during the international break.
“He is a really good boy and is so keen to impress. Mario has worked like a lion over the past fortnight.
“Nobody is more determined than him to show his value and worth.”
