Ovo je prestrašno više, protiv Fulhama igrali bez desetorice, a sad se već može sastavit cijela ekipa od ozlijeđenih igrača.
Liverpool rocked by news that Fernando Torres is facing hernia
surgery
Rafael Benítez learns the full extent of Liverpool striker’s
injury before crucial Champions League match against Lyons
Fernando
Torres has a hernia that could require surgery if he is overplayed, Rafael
Benítez has been warned.
Liverpool’s medical staff delivered the worrying
prognosis during the build-up to the club’s crucial Champions League match
against Lyons tomorrow night.
Steven Gerrard is definitely out of the
group E tie at the Stade Gerland because of a groin problem. The Liverpool
captain is joined on Benítez’s lengthy casualty list by Fábio Aurélio, Albert
Riera, Martin Skrtel and Martin Kelly.
Torres has been included in the
squad that travels to France today and is likely to start tomorrow’s game — when
anything other than victory will leave their hopes of qualifying for the
knockout stages hanging by a thread — and play through the pain.
The
inguinal hernia has been affecting the striker for most of the past month since
the problem developed while on international duty with Spain in early
October.
Liverpool have attempted to mask the severity of Torres’s
condition by nursing him through matches and allowing him to train only
immediately before games, when his physical condition is deemed good enough.
Since the 25-year-old suffered his latest setback, though, there have been real
fears that he could need an operation.
It is hoped that the combination
of rationing the striker’s appearances and occasionally allowing him to miss
training will allow Torres the rest time he needs for surgery to be
averted.
Benítez is aware, however, that even these precautions may not
be enough to spare his L22 million record signing from having to have an
operation.
Torres was substituted after an hour of Liverpool’s 3-1
Barclays Premier League defeat away to Fulham on Saturday, a decision that
puzzled many fans and caused Ronnie Whelan, the former Anfield captain, to call
for the manager’s head.
But it now seems clear that it was simply the
latest example of Benítez’s desire to protect the forward from exacerbating the
seriousness of his condition.
“I was surprised with the critics after the
game because Fernando has had problems in the last month after the international
games,” Benítez said. “We are trying to manage because he was close to having an
operation.
“He is not comfortable. He has not got the power he had
before, so we have to manage and try to protect him. He cannot play well if you
keep pushing him. Maybe if you push him he will be injured for a long
time.
“So, I am really surprised with the critics. When you talk about
big names, people just analyse the names and not how the player is when he is on
the pitch. He was not 100 per cent fit. We have to take Fernando to Lyons
because we don’t have too many options.”
Benítez already faces the
prospect of Gerrard having to undergo groin surgery to correct a problem he
suffered while on duty with England.
“Gerrard won’t travel to Lyons,”
Benítez confirmed. “He has no chance. He is improving but we have to wait. He
has had an injection but we have to wait two or three days and see how he
reacts.
“Skrtel also has no chance. He has a small muscle problem. It’s
not too big but he is feeling something.”
At a time when Benítez’s
position as Liverpool manager is being questioned like never before after six
defeats in their past past seven games, his injury concerns are
mounting.
The situation is so dire that Alberto Aquilani, the Italy
midfield player, has been added to the squad despite not having fully recovered
from illness, while Benítez has also been forced to call on David Ngog and
Daniel Agger even though the pair are nursing slight knocks.
“Agger is
improving — he will travel and we will then decide,” Benítez said. “He felt
something in his back but it’s much better now. We have to wait and see how he
reacts. Ngog is much better, so he could be available.”
Benítez has taken
the unusual step of naming a 20-man squad, with Stephen Darby, the 21-year-old
right back who has never started a game for the club, included in case Glen
Johnson fails to recover from the calf strain that has kept the England defender
out of action since Liverpool’s victory over Manchester United nine days
ago.
Uefa has also given the club special dispensation to promote Danny
Ayala, the 18-year-old centre back, into the squad from their B-list.
sve prolazi sve se mijenja, idu dani idu godine, samo Zrinjski ostaje ponos moje Hercegovine