Torres hammer blow for Benitez

LIVERPOOL striker Fernando Torres has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his troublesome knee injury last night.

The procedure will keep the 26-year-old out of action for around six weeks, meaning he will miss not only the Premier League run in - starting with tonight’s clash against West Ham - but also the remainder of the club’s Europa League campaign, which continues this week with a semi-final against Torres’ former club Atletico Madrid.

Confirmed a club spokesperson: “Fernando saw a specialist in Spain earlier today and it was decided that he would need surgery on a torn cartilage in his right knee.

“This will be carried out later tonight. We cannot comment ahead of the operation, but as a guide, the usual rehabilitation period for this type of procedure is around six weeks.”

The news will also cast a shadow over Spain's preparations for the World Cup, with Torres a key element of the European champions' set-up for the tournament which gets under way in just over seven weeks.

Coach Vicente del Bosque will almost certainly gamble on the fitness of his star striker when he has to finalise his final 23-man squad, with Spain’s first game in the tournament not until June 16 – around two and a half weeks after Torres’ projected return date.

The loss of Torres could sound the death knell on Liverpool’s fading chances of claiming a fourth-place finish in the Premier League which put them into the Champions League next season.

The Reds have dropped to seventh in the standings after this weekend’s fixtures, eight points behind fourth-placed Tottenham with just 12 points to play for over their remaining four matches.

Coming on top of the fevered speculation about the future of the club, it is not the best match preparation for manager Rafa Benitez, but the Spaniard says he does not feel under any greater pressure.

“Everyone knows Liverpool are a top side and one bad season is not going to be changed by winning one or two games at the end,” he said.

West Ham assistant boss Steve Clarke is equally confident that the club can take a massive step towards safety despite an awful record at Anfield. The Hammers have not won at Liverpool since 1963.

“If we continue doing what we have been doing, we’ll be okay,” Clarke said. “It’s been a difficult season right from the start, but we’re still in there fighting. The last couple of results were good for us and we have to build on them. The finishing line is in sight and we have to keep going.”

Liverpool: (4-2-3-1) Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Agger; Mascherano, Lucas; Kuyt, Gerrard, Benayoun; Ngog.

West Ham: (4-4-2) Green; Faubert, Da Costa, Upson, Spector; Behrami, Noble, Kovac, Stanislas; Cole, Ilan.