Just when Rafa Benitez thought things couldn’t get worse for Liverpool, he is now facing the prospect of being withou his star players Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard.
The pain felt around Anfield following on Wednesday’s shock extra-time FA Cup defeat by second division Reading, was compounded Thursday by news that Torres, Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun had all sustained injuries during the 2-1 extra-time loss.
Torres, who lasted barely half an hour at Anfield, faces the longest lay-off of the trio.
The Spain striker is set to be sidelined for six weeks with a knee injury while inspirational club captain Gerrard, substituted at half-time, is expected to be out for a fortnight with a hamstring injury.
Meanwhile, Israeli playmaker Benayoun - one of Liverpool’s better players in a terrible season so far for the Merseysiders - sustained a fractured rib against Reading and could be unavailable for at least a month.
Torres is to undergo an operation but England midfielder Gerrard may not need surgery.
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Liverpool crushed Stoke City 4- 0 at Anfield on Wednesday night with Fernando Torres at the forefront.
Having lost their opening game at Tottenham 2-1, Rafael Benitez’s side were under pressure to overcome a team they twice failed to beat last season.
Spain international Torres gave his side the perfect start by notching his first goal of the campaign in the fourth minute before Glen Johnson marked his home debut by making it 2-0 on the stroke of halftime.
Holland international Dirk Kuyt increased Liverpool’s lead in the 78th minute and David Ngog put the seal on an impressive display in stoppage time.
Liverpool could not score against Stoke in 180 minutes of action last season, but it took just four minutes to unlock the Potters defence this time.
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Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez have insisted that Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso will be fit for the last three Premier League matches to keep up the pressureon Manchester United.
Torres, who has scored 16 times for his club this season, missed Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Newcastle after suffering a hamstring problem in training on the eve of the Anfield match.
His compatriot Alonso did start but was forced off after falling victim to a shocking challenge by Newcastle’s Liverpool-born midfielder Joey Barton which saw him sent off.
Alonso left the pitch on a stretcher but Benitez played down fears that the midfielder will miss the final three matches of the season.
He also insisted Torres could have featured on the substitutes bench but decided not to gamble his fitness at such a crucial stage in the season.
“Torres had a problem with his hamstring and in the end we decided to leave him out of the squad,” said Benitez, after goals by Yossi Benayoun, Dirk Kuyt and Lucas halved United’s lead at the top of the table to three points.
“We had to decide whether to put him on the bench because to start with him would have been very dangerous.
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