Liverpool suffered a major Merseyside derby blow last night when Fernando Torres was ruled out for “eight to 10 days”.
Spain’s team doctor Genaro Borras delivered the grim news after Liverpool’s record signing hobbled away from a training session in Aarhus yesterday when he tore a muscle in his right leg.
He was immediately ruled out of his country’s Euro 2008 qualifier in Denmark tonight and will also miss Spain’s friendly in Finland on Wednesday.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will now be desperate for Torres to defy Borras’s diagnosis in the hope the damage can be repaired in time for the Goodison Park showdown in a week’s time.
Benitez already had one scare concerning his top scorer – who has hit the net seven times already in his debut season in England – when he was forced to sit out training with an ankle knock on Wednesday.
But his much-publicised worst fears about losing players to international duty appear to have been realised after Torres sustained the injury that could deny him his first Merseyside derby appearance next Saturday.
Should Torres fail to face Everton, the race will then be on for him to recover for the Champions League group game in Turkey against Besiktas a week on Wednesday, with Liverpool needing a win after only taking one point from their first two games.
Benitez’s side then faces Premier League leaders Arsenal at Anfield the following Sunday, a game which Torres, as things stand, should be fit for.
Meanwhile, Harry Kewell is expected to return to full training at Liverpool next week after the groin injury he picked up playing for Australia in the Asian Cup in the summer.
And manager Benitez is now hoping Kewell can prove his fitness and press for a place in the squad.
Benitez said: “Harry has been working really hard and next week he could be training or running with the rest of the first team. Harry is very important for us. A player with pace and ability who can score goals is always going to be important.”
Spain’s team doctor Genaro Borras delivered the grim news after Liverpool’s record signing hobbled away from a training session in Aarhus yesterday when he tore a muscle in his right leg.
He was immediately ruled out of his country’s Euro 2008 qualifier in Denmark tonight and will also miss Spain’s friendly in Finland on Wednesday.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will now be desperate for Torres to defy Borras’s diagnosis in the hope the damage can be repaired in time for the Goodison Park showdown in a week’s time.
Benitez already had one scare concerning his top scorer – who has hit the net seven times already in his debut season in England – when he was forced to sit out training with an ankle knock on Wednesday.
But his much-publicised worst fears about losing players to international duty appear to have been realised after Torres sustained the injury that could deny him his first Merseyside derby appearance next Saturday.
Should Torres fail to face Everton, the race will then be on for him to recover for the Champions League group game in Turkey against Besiktas a week on Wednesday, with Liverpool needing a win after only taking one point from their first two games.
Benitez’s side then faces Premier League leaders Arsenal at Anfield the following Sunday, a game which Torres, as things stand, should be fit for.
Meanwhile, Harry Kewell is expected to return to full training at Liverpool next week after the groin injury he picked up playing for Australia in the Asian Cup in the summer.
And manager Benitez is now hoping Kewell can prove his fitness and press for a place in the squad.
Benitez said: “Harry has been working really hard and next week he could be training or running with the rest of the first team. Harry is very important for us. A player with pace and ability who can score goals is always going to be important.”
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