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Sturridge shies away from Suarez skulduggery

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AFP Rio De Janeiro
Last Updated : Jun 17 2014 | 12:02 PM IST
England striker Daniel Sturridge is prepared to do "anything" to beat Uruguay, but would stop short of blocking a shot with his hand like Liverpool team-mate Luis Suarez.
Suarez achieved global notoriety at the last World Cup in South Africa when his goal-line handball denied Ghana a quarter-final victory and helped Uruguay through to the last four.
Four years on, the 27-year-old is battling to overcome a knee injury in time to face England in a pivotal World Cup Group D clash in Sao Paulo, in which defeat for either side could spell elimination.
Sturridge and Suarez enjoyed a remarkably fruitful partnership last season, amassing 52 goals as Liverpool narrowly missed out on a first English league title since 1990, but Sturridge says that following his team-mate's example only goes so far.
"I'm going to do anything in my power to win this game," he told reporters at England's Urca training base in Rio de Janeiro on Monday.
"I'm prepared to do anything, and I'm talking anything. I'm being serious. It's do or die.

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"I'm not saying I'm going to dive or do anything that's not within the laws of the game, but I will do anything -- like my team-mates -- to win this game.
"I will stay on my feet. I will never dive on purpose. I'm not going to handball a goal shot, because it's not in my nature."
He added: "We're an honest country and go about our business in an honest way. No disrespect to other countries, but we play the game within the laws of the game. We don't bend the rules. We play by the book."
Sturridge also revealed that he had not exchanged any text messages with Suarez since the start of the World Cup.
"It doesn't happen at home, so it won't happen when I'm here," he explained.
"I wouldn't text him to ask him how he is, because he's a Uruguay player and wouldn't want to tell me. That's for his country to worry about.
"He won't want to let us know how he's getting on. I hope he's fit, I hope he's OK. I don't want to wish injury on any player.

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First Published: Jun 17 2014 | 12:02 PM IST

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