LIVERPOOL -- Daniel Sturridge is poised to make his comeback against West Ham on Saturday after a "brilliant" performance in training, according to Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers.
But Rodgers has warned that the 25-year-old striker will need time to get back to his best after an injury absence of almost five months.
Sturridge was not risked as Liverpool went out of the Capital One Cup at Chelsea on Tuesday night, despite having returned to full training.
The forward has not played for his club since a 3-0 Premier League victory at Aug. 31, having picked up a thigh injury during an England training session on Sep. 5.
He then sustained a calf problem during a Liverpool practice session on Oct. 16, and a second thigh injury while training with his club on Nov. 18.
Rodgers said: "He has looked very good in training, outstanding, but we will give him another day and I will have a chat with him again tomorrow to see how he feels. At this moment, he looks in top-class condition."
Sturridge was sent to the U.S. to speed up his rehabilitation over Christmas, and Rodgers feels that the striker has benefited.
The manager said: "Since he came back from his spell in America, he's been very upbeat and has been working as hard as he can.
"In the last few days -- and particularly this morning -- he was brilliant in training. He was dynamic, strong and focused.
"But we have to be careful. We don't want to put too much pressure on him. We can't say he's going to be the saving grace, but he's certainly going to make us a better team."
Rodgers feels that the absence of Sturridge, who scored 21 Premier League goals last season as Liverpool finished runners-up to Manchester City, has hurt his team.
"I think Daniel's absence has had a huge impact on our season," he continued. "When we played one of our early games at Tottenham, you saw what a reference point he was for the team in the game -- and from that point he hasn't played.
"Thankfully over the last number of months we have really nailed down a way of working and returned to our football ideas and we have been getting better and better all the time. When you put Daniel into that he shines a different light on to the teammates."
Rodgers, meanwhile, feels that goalkeeper Simon Mignolet is a better player for his time out of the side in December.
Mignolet was dropped for the 3-0 Premier League defeat at Manchester United on Dec. 14 after a series of poor performances, only to return as a substitute in a 1-0 win at Burnley 12 days later when Brad Jones suffered a thigh injury.
Rodgers added: "I think Simon's shown the benefits of having some time out. He looks like a different goalkeeper. Sometimes you don't get that chance to reflect.
"Nowadays when you take a player out, it's always made out that he's been dropped, and that's not always the case. For Simon, it was a chance to analyse performances and see where he can improve.
"He's shown why we brought him here. He's probably thinking less and doing what comes naturally. I delighted for him because he works hard at his game."