Liverpool: Sturridge & Sakho could miss Wembley FA Cup semi-final

Daniel Sturridge has only scored five goals all season for his club.

Liverpool hope striker Daniel Sturridge will be fit for the FA Cup semi-final with Aston Villa on Sunday, but defender Mamadou Sakho will not play.

Sturridge missed Liverpool's 2-0 league win over Newcastle on Monday having sustained a hip problem against Blackburn last Wednesday.

But manager Brendan Rodgers said: "By the middle of the week we'll have a good indication of where he's at."

Centre-back Sakho's hamstring injury will keep him out for four weeks.

Sturridge has netted only four times for Liverpool in the league this season after a campaign affected by injury.

The forward, 25, picked up a thigh problem while on international duty in September and then suffered setbacks as he first injured his calf and then his thigh once again.

He was again sidelined by a problem with his hip last month and, despite starting against Blackburn, was substituted late on with a further hip concern.

"I'll probably know more in the week," Rodgers added. "He said he feels reasonably fine."

Fellow striker Mario Balotelli, who last featured for Liverpool as an unused substitute against Manchester United on 22 March, will also be assessed ahead of the trip to Wembley.

"He wasn't quite fit enough for Newcastle," said Rodgers of the 24-year-old Italian. "He's had on and off sickness issues. Hopefully he'll train in the middle of the week."

Sakho, 25, is out of upcoming league games against West Brom, Hull and QPR, as well as the FA Cup semi-final.

Liverpool hope the £18m centre-back, signed from Paris St-Germain, could be back for the trip to Chelsea on 10 May.