Sturridge not over health scare
Daniel Sturridge, Chelsea
The 23-year-old, who scored in a 3-1 win over UAE in the group stages for Team GB but has played just 45 minutes at the tournament so far, says his fitness is improving but he still has a way to go.
“I am getting there but I am still not 100 percent,” said the Blues attacker.
“Basically, I am a week behind the rest of the lads in terms of fitness because they had a week of pre-season when I was at my club. Also I have lost a bit of weight but I am getting fitter.
Sturridge admitted that after contracting the illness at the beginning of the month, his Olympic dream appeared to be in tatters.
However, after missing out on Euro 2012 having been placed on standby by Roy Hodgson, he was determined to be a part of such a momentous event.
“This was the centre-piece of my summer,” he said. “It was the right stage to show what I am capable of, but I was more than a bit concerned about missing it.
“A week after contracting meningitis, I was unsure whether I would be coming or not. At that stage I certainly felt worse than I thought I would.
“Thankfully, as time went on I improved, although there were only a couple of days to go before we made the decision to go for it.”
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