Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann is hopeful that Daniel Sturridge is over the worst of his injury problems.

The England international has endured a succession of injuries over the past 12 months and has been absent through various problems with his calf, thigh and hip, the last of which saw him miss pre-season.

However, the forward struck twice in Saturday's 3-2 win over Aston Villa, and Hamann wants to see Sturridge have a prolonged spell in the side.

The German told the Liverpool Echo: "It's no good doing it for a couple of weeks and then being out again, because then the whole team has to change again. He has to show he can stay fit, and hopefully he will.

"It's massive to have him available. Obviously he missed a lot of games, so we need to keep him fit – especially if Christian Benteke is going to be out.

"If you've got somebody with pace who can stretch defences and score goals, then it's a massive plus as we saw on Saturday. It brings the level of other players up as well."

Brendan Rodgers's side travel to local rivals Everton on Sunday afternoon.