Reds must cope without big guns

Liverpool will be without their most influential trio of players in striker Fernando Torres, captain Steven Gerrard and midfielder Yossi Benayoun for tomorrow’s match at Stoke.

All were injured in the midweek FA Cup exit to Reading, with Torres requiring knee surgery which will keep him out for six weeks, Benayoun sustaining a broken rib likely to sideline him for a month and Gerrard out for a fortnight with a hamstring problem.