FOOTBALL

DESPERATE RAFA TO PLAY INJURED TORRES AND GERRARD

DESPERATE: Rafa Benitez

Friday November 6,2009

By Mauro Galluzzo for express.co.uk

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LIVERPOOL manager Rafael Benitez is ready to risk Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard - despite the duo needing surgery.

Torres has undergone tests on the serious groin injury which is threatening to ruin his season, and major doubts remain over whether Gerrard will have overcome his groin injury.

But the Benitez will risk playing the duo to salvage Liverpool's season.

Benitez said: "Fernando played with pain and after the game he still had the same problems that have troubled him for a few weeks.

"He wants to wait, rather than have an operation. He wants to work with the physios to try to solve his problems, but still he has pain.

"He told me he needed to keep stopping because of the pain. Whether there is the need for him or Steven Gerrard to have an operation is a decision we will not take straight away.

Injured duo Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard

"We must see how he can improve, and by how much. Then we will decide about any possible operation."

Torres played 87 minutes of Wednesday's Champions League match in Lyon and Benitez will wait to see how that affects the striker before deciding to risk him for Monday's Barclays Premier League match against Birmingham.

Steven Gerrard, who also has a groin problem, has also done light training this week and is not ruled out of the Birmingham game yet.

The Reds may have Martin Skrtel back for the match, following a virus, however Glen Johnson and Fabio Aurelio will miss out with calf problems, while Albert Riera (hamstring) and Martin Kelly (ankle) remain sidelined.

But Benitez will be without Jamie Carragher and Philipp Degen. The pair are starting their suspensions after they were sent off against Fulham last weekend.

DAILY EXPRESS POLL: IS IT TIME THAT RAFA BENITEZ QUIT LIVERPOOL?

Liverpool provisional squad: Reina, Aurelio, Darby, Agger, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos, Insua, Lucas, Mascherano, Aquilani, Kuyt, Babel, Benayoun, Voronin, Ngog, Cavalieri, Spearing, Riera, Torres, Gerrard, Ayala, Plessis.