Rodgers: He's almost there

Sturridge has played 100 minutes for his new club in the two games since arriving at the start of January transfer window.

On both occasions the forward was on target, firing after seven minutes of play on his debut at Mansfield and pouncing on a spilled shot to halve the deficit against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

And the manager believes the awareness and skill Sturridge demonstrated in his first two outings for the Reds serve to highlight why he can be a highly-influential player for the club going forward.

"Daniel came in here and the spotlight was on him because everyone knew we needed someone up there to help Luis and get goals," Rodgers told reporters gathered at Melwood.

"He's scored a couple of goals in two games. He'll be very close for the weekend. It's just a case of making sure he's prepared well and right. He's enjoying every minute of being here and if I feel he's fit and in good condition for the weekend, then he'll play.

"He is fitting into the group really well. It's been difficult and perhaps frustrating for him because he hasn't been at the top level of his fitness yet, which is why we had to put him on the bench and bring him into the game [against United].

"But his performance in the second half - and his 55 minutes at Mansfield - showed he can be a very, very good player for us.

"At Old Trafford, his performance typified the reason we brought him in. It was a terrific shot by Steven Gerrard, a good save by David de Gea and he's in there, in the box looking for a goal.

"There are not many players who would have got to that loose ball. If you look at the distance he has run, his pace and power have took him into the box and he finished it very well.

"He's very, very close [to full fitness] and working very hard. When you have good players like Daniel, Luis and Steven and the other players around them, it makes things really exciting."

Consecutive hat-tricks from Suarez have been decisive in the last two meetings between Norwich and Liverpool.

The Uruguayan weighed in with spectacular goals in back-to-back clashes at Carrow Road in 2012 as the Reds scooped comfortable victories.

However, the last time the two sides met at Anfield, back in October 2011, the spoils were shared as Grant Holt silenced the Kop to cancel out a Craig Bellamy opener.

And Rodgers knows Chris Hughton's side will pose a similar threat at the weekend, having recovered from an early-season blip in recent months.

"It will be a really difficult game for us," said Rodgers. "They came to Anfield last season and played very well. This season they picked up after the win we had at Carrow Road, where we played very well.

"It was a very good result and performance for us. We mustn't forget we could have been better - we conceded two very sloppy goals. Our offensive game was very good, but we made mistakes.

"That's something we must rectify going forward, because we've got the ability to create many chances. It's important we keep our concentration.

"Chris Hughton and his staff have done a brilliant job making the team harder to beat - they went on a run of games unbeaten - which was a great feat considering how they started. They've got some outstanding players and they'll hope to replicate the performance they had [at Anfield] last season.

"They've got Grant Holt, who is a fighter up front and has quality; Anthony Pilkington on the side is a threat; Robert Snodgrass is a very good technician; Wes Hoolahan is obviously a threat in behind that - but we're at home and confidence has been high."

Prior to the Reds' narrow 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday, they had won seven games out of nine in all competitions.

And in the last two Anfield fixtures, Rodgers' side have fired seven goals and kept consecutive clean sheets against Fulham and Sunderland.

"It will be tough against Norwich but at the same time, we're at home and we're looking to continue our form at home," said the manager.

"We've had some terrific performances so far this season but consistency has been our biggest downfall.

"I believe the group will be as good as any team in this league. But we have to be consistent and be able to not play well and win. This season we've normally played well and won games; we've also performed well and not got something from the games.

"At times, we're going to have to not play well and be able to win. That's something that comes through working and building relationships on the training field.

"We just want to improve in every game and we'll see where we finish. I think the second part of the season will be better."