Daniel Sturridge, a forward for Perth Glory, said his absence from Friday’s game against Western United was due to a lack of fitness, not the effects of a cross-country travel to Melbourne, as owner Tony Sage had suggested.
Sage told SEN radio that the ex-England striker, who joined Perth in October and has yet to make his first A-League start, had informed coach Richard Garcia shortly after the team’s arrival that he would be unable to play in the match.
“Richie acknowledged it in the post-game news conference, he’s not used to a four-and-a-half-hour flight to a game,” Sage added.
“He was a little cramped when he boarded the plane.”
Sturridge, a former Liverpool striker, had to stay in a hotel for two weeks after arriving in Australia before making his Glory debut as a late substitute in a 1-1 tie with Adelaide United last week.
Since his contract with Trabzonspor in Turkey was terminated 21 months ago, he had not played a competitive game.
Sturridge tweeted on Monday, “It’s a long season so please be patient as we get my fitness up, which was always the goal.” “I’d never let a four-hour flight stop me from playing football.”
Garcia and the club’s medical team made the decision on the forward’s non-selection, according to Perth CEO Tony Pignata.
Pignata remarked on Twitter, “Just to get the record right, it was not Daniel’s decision not to play last weekend.”
“Daniel, like any other player, wanted to play, but we had a strategy in place for him before he arrived to help him improve his fitness and integrate into the club.”
“He’ll play when the medical team and Richie say he’s ready.”
During their post-match press conference, Garcia stated that Sturridge would need time to adjust to the hardships of living on Australia’s west coast.
“Just traveling alone, the distances we travel in Perth are novel to him,” he explained. “No matter how good a player you are, you are still a person who requires time to adjust.”