Fernando Torres could be a surprise casualty from the fall-out of Liverpool's Carling Cup exit after the manager, Rafael Benítez, warned that no player is guaranteed a starting place in his title-chasing side.
Torres started his first game after five weeks' absence with a hamstring injury at White Hart Lane, but the Spanish striker looked a shadow of the player who scored 36 goals for club and country last season.
Benítez believes the 24-year-old is still "two or three weeks" from returning to peak form, and the Liverpool manager could decide to demote him to the bench at Bolton today. "The team is doing very well so Torres has to compete for his position," said Benítez. "Clearly he is not 100% fit in terms of sharpness. He is a fantastic player, but we have [Robbie] Keane and [Dirk] Kuyt playing well, so he has to compete. I was disappointed after the Carling Cup because we lost the game and didn't perform well. I think some of the senior players have to take some of the responsibility. Torres is clever and he knows he can't rest on his laurels."
The prospect of Torres, one of five Liverpool players named yesterday in Spain's squad to face Chile on Wednesday, being dropped seemed unthinkable not long ago, although he picked up his last injury in training with the national squad and Benítez may feel he needs easing back.
Liverpool will go three points clear of Chelsea, if only for a few hours, if they defeat Bolton in the lunchtime start. Jamie Carragher is set to start at right-back in place of the suspended Alvaro Arbeloa, with Sami Hyypia partnering Daniel Agger in the centre of defence.
Benítez, meanwhile, has confirmed that contract negotiations have started. "My advisers are working on this," he said. "I want to concentrate on football, but for me it has to be done quickly because I don't want to be talking every press conference about this."
Torres started his first game after five weeks' absence with a hamstring injury at White Hart Lane, but the Spanish striker looked a shadow of the player who scored 36 goals for club and country last season.
Benítez believes the 24-year-old is still "two or three weeks" from returning to peak form, and the Liverpool manager could decide to demote him to the bench at Bolton today. "The team is doing very well so Torres has to compete for his position," said Benítez. "Clearly he is not 100% fit in terms of sharpness. He is a fantastic player, but we have [Robbie] Keane and [Dirk] Kuyt playing well, so he has to compete. I was disappointed after the Carling Cup because we lost the game and didn't perform well. I think some of the senior players have to take some of the responsibility. Torres is clever and he knows he can't rest on his laurels."
The prospect of Torres, one of five Liverpool players named yesterday in Spain's squad to face Chile on Wednesday, being dropped seemed unthinkable not long ago, although he picked up his last injury in training with the national squad and Benítez may feel he needs easing back.
Liverpool will go three points clear of Chelsea, if only for a few hours, if they defeat Bolton in the lunchtime start. Jamie Carragher is set to start at right-back in place of the suspended Alvaro Arbeloa, with Sami Hyypia partnering Daniel Agger in the centre of defence.
Benítez, meanwhile, has confirmed that contract negotiations have started. "My advisers are working on this," he said. "I want to concentrate on football, but for me it has to be done quickly because I don't want to be talking every press conference about this."
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