Health not flight the rationale for absence, says Sturridge | Soccer Information

Perth Glory striker Daniel Sturridge said his absence from Friday’s game against Western United was due to a lack of fitness and not, as owner Tony Sage suggested, the impact of an overland flight to Melbourne.
Sage told SEN Radio that the former English striker, who joined Perth in October and will make his first A-League start, told coach Richard Garcia that he would not be able to play in the game shortly after the team arrived .
“Richie said in the post-game press release that he’s not used to a four and a half hour flight to a game, he’s just not used to it,” said Sage.
“He stopped a bit convulsively on the plane.”
Former Liverpool striker Sturridge was given a two-week hotel quarantine on arrival in Australia before making his first appearance as a late substitute for Glory in a 1-1 draw with Adelaide United last week.
In the 21 months since the termination of the contract with the Turkish Trabzonspor, he had not played a competitive game.
“It’s been a long season so be patient while we build my fitness, whatever the plan,” Sturridge tweeted Monday. “A four-hour flight would never stop me from playing football.”
Perth boss Tony Pignata said Garcia and the club’s medical staff called the striker’s unselection.
“Just to be clear, it wasn’t Daniel’s decision not to play last weekend,” Pignata wrote on Twitter.
“Daniel wanted to play like any other player but we had a plan for Daniel before he arrived to build his fitness and integrate him into the team.
“He’ll play when the medical team and Richie think it’s ready.”
Garcia said during her post-game press conference that it would take Sturridge time to adjust to the challenges the Australian west coast location is facing.
“Traveling alone, the distances we cover in Perth is a new experience for him,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how good you are as a player, you are still human and you still need time to adapt.”