Rafael Benitez will assess the condition of his walking wounded before flying to France for the crunch Champions League clash with Lyon.
Steven Gerrard, Martin Kelly, Martin Skrtel and Albert Riera will definitely miss Wednesday night's Group E match - a game Liverpool have to win to maintain any hopes of reaching the last 16 - while Glen Johnson (calf), Daniel Agger (back), Fabio Aurelio (calf) and David Ngog (ankle) are doubts.
But Benitez seems set on a major gamble on Fernando Torres and £20million new boy Alberto Aquilani, who has yet to start a match for his new club, as he said: "We have to take Fernando to Lyon because we don't have too many options. We have to keep working with him and the rest of the players."
Such is Liverpool's injury plight that boss Benitez may take all four (Johnson, Agger, Aurelio and Ngog) with him for the Stade Gerland showdown, even if there is just a chance they will recover enough to be involved. Certainly Agger and Ngog are considered fit to travel.
Without Gerrard, Benitez is considering using the pair as Liverpool's main attackers against the side who won 2-1 at Anfield last month.
While Torres has a persistent groin problem, and was taken off after an hour at Fulham on Saturday, a game Liverpool eventually lost 3-1 without him.
And Benitez added: "We are trying to manage because he was close to having an operation. Still on Monday, two days after the game, he is feeling something.
"He is not comfortable. He has not got the power he had before, so we have to try to protect him.
"But he cannot play well if you keep pushing him, maybe if you push him he will be injured for a long time."
Aquilani recently picked up a virus, but he trained on Monday, with Benitez saying: "He was a bit weak, hopefully he will be better for the match."
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post 29 - marcusgora - you say you would "defy any team on this planet to lose as many players as we have to injury and NOT suffer the form we have.we've got 9 or 10 injured n we're still up there"
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$hit - stop making excuses for the fat waiter - youve had plenty of players in, plenty of time for a youth policy to come to fruitition yet still rely on 2 players to boost your team.
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And now you look like going out of the CL
the usual idiots with their ''sack rafa'' nonsense.i'd defy any team on this planet to lose as many players as we have to injury and NOT suffer the form we have.we've got 9 or 10 injured n we're still up there.maybe not top 4 but were there or thereabouts.once the injury problems are sorted we'll be back on track.if man united just lost rooney to injury they'd be sittin in the bottom four n thats a fact.man united are the one man team in the prem.rafas been more successful than fergie was in his first 4 or 5 seasons at old trafford.rafa's goin nowhere.these same ''sack rafa'' idiots will be singin the guys fkin praises come xmas when our forms picked up.
well i feel sorry for torres..rafa is going to ruin him to try and save his career..he will end up with a bad injury and be out for months...shame on you benitez
perhaps rafa is sensing the end ofhis liverpool career...hell not walk away as hell lose 2o million quid...no..hell get the sack then walk straight into the real madrid hotseat...all at liverpools expence
if they fail to go in to the knockout stage of the cl...and fail to get 4th spot at the end of the season the financial cost will be extraordinary...(interest payments on the loan are huge and need to be repayed).as a tottenham fan i admire liverpool a great deal but rafa really gets up my nose...he holds on to his job cus he won the champions league.....sir alf ramsey won the world cup...but he still got the sack...food for thought liverpool fans
18..Andy S I totally agree with you there.
even international rescue can,t save the scousers from exiting the champions league.....love brains
Don't forget that Benitez has had to balance the books every year so yes we've bought loads of players and spent a lot but had to sell just as many. So all we can afford to do is tinker with the squad rather than go for broke like Chelsea and Man City and buy a new team. We lack depth and are paying the price when players get injured - that's poor luck not poor management. I can't see all the proposed replacements for Rafa doing any better (if they are available) with the financial restraints we have.
Mark c (#15)...we can go back and forth but don't think it is really worth it.
That's a myopic view on your part i.e. to blame Benitez for not winning in 19 years.
I hate to be the one to break the news to you but Benitez has not been in Liverpool for 19 years.
By the way, he has a better record than Fergie and most former Liverpool mangers after t the same amount of games with their respective teams.
There is enough blame to go around. Just ask your "fellow" Man u Fans who went 26 years without a title.
When you start pointing fingers, remember Benitez is responsible for players like Torres, Macherano, Johnson, kuyt etc. You can't have it both ways.
By the way, give us Man U money and I will show you better buys than the Bulgarian AKA sleepy Berbatov but that is another argument all together.
Gidy thank you. Mark C,Half a Brain,SID how does it pain you when Liverpool is losing?How does it concern you when we are losing?I thought you ought to be very happy and even clamour for Rafa's existence as our boss so that we can lose the more.The fact that you all Man Useless fans are asking for Rafa's head means he is actuall a treat to you guys
Gidy ( you must be ) Liverpools loss of form has lasted 19 years ( for the prem ) He`s bought 70 players! 70! Where are they?
This is so comical with some of you Man u fans masquerading as Liverpool fans and offering suggestions that are devoid of any deep thought. Benitez has the Man Useless fans flustered with the recent wins against Man U and seem confused. Why do they want him to be fired if he is such a bad manager?
As one guy asked last week, how the hell do you deal with setback in your own lives!! You seem to be hitting the panic button with a loss at Craven Cottage, a place where Man U got thrashed 2-0 last year. They are yet to go there this year.
True fans stick to their team (good or bad). Yes, you can be critical but let us not forget the goal is the success of the club if you are true fan. If all you have is fire Benitez, just relax. It only takes a couple wins or so to turn it around. There is no club out there that would have the amount of injuries the Reds have and not suffer a dip in form.
A win in Lyon on Wednesday and the mood changes (Reds have done it before and I would never rule them out). Enjoy the journey. Reds didn't get to be the all time best in England by having knee jerk reactions (Most Champion league titles and league titles (Man u just tied).
You will never walk alone.
I know Liverpool do things the hard way but its looking like an impossible mission.
Against fulham on weekend after Carra. got sent off the team just crumbled,who will captain team on wed. Kuyt?
With Gerrard & Carra out we have no leader,if we loose a goal I feel its over as no fight in team without a leader to lift them.
Fingers crossed we scrape through but its gonna be a massive mountain to climb!
Its all to blame on Rafa Ive seen LFC during their tough times and also when they win their share. It still doesnt take away the fact that I think Rafa should be fired by next season regardless of the turnout of the champions league. He says how he didn't have money to make the purchases but losing Alonso who molded so well with the team and was only getting better to get an injured aquilani was a terrible decision. Still love alberto dont get me wrong but why would you no pick someone like OWEN you no who was a free agent and would cost no money to you?? good luck today LFC and F*ck you RAFA.
Taxi for the fat waiter. 225 million and 70 players? how much longer can he survive?
What is happening at Liverpool is the fault of Benitez and nobody else. The Yanks have given Liverpool a lot of money over the years and it's been wasted on a number of purchases that have not really cut it. As somebody else pointed out, where are the Liverpool kids? A working youth policy is a great way of finding those couple of sqaud players who can come in and play a handful of games throughout the season. To me it shows how poor a manager Benitez is when his team is capable of motivating itself to beat Man U but falls appart against Fullham
Benitez on Torres "We can't keep pushing him"...........so what does he do........plays him injured knowing it will probably put him out for 8 weeks or so.......the fat waiter is on a suicide mission.....what a clown.
If Torres does go under the knife, he is going to be out for upto 8 weeks. In that time they are playing 5 league and 2 CL matches with Man City on 21st Nov and Arsenal on 13th Dec. Those 2 matches are must win to keep within the top 4 positions to qualify for next years CL.
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What I cant understand is why without Fernando Liverpool "don't have too many options" After 5 years (or however long) have they not invested in youth to bring through the ranks. All the other big clubs (except Chelsea - depite Kenyon's claims) are constantly bringing out youngsters who are worthy. Just look at their players out on loan gaining experience.
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Even if you look at the Liverpool website its out of date. Just like the team - nothing to be proud of - BIG TIME
BRAVO SID.
Finally you are making some sense.
I kept saying for last few months that Liverpool need another striker ( C.Cole from West Ham) and our young players to be brought in.
This season looks s... and it doesn't seems to get better in the future. I have been Liverpool supporter for 30 years and Banitez transfer policy makes no sense. 30 years old center back and we have such a young promising talent in Ayala.
We are using Aurelio (left back) as midfielder?????
We sold Robbie Keane back to and he was scoring goals when Torres was injured last year. This year????
Its one word left to be said about liverpool one wedding plenty of FUNERALS.
Where are the youngsters in Liverpool? People who went through the youth programs? Is it that none of them is worth a try? Are they so bad that Lucus and Ngog are preferred to them? Of course not. It is just that Benitass is not competent and confident enough, plus he is stubborn and arrogant. I feel sorry for the honest Liverpool fans, not those who refuse to see their club in serious troubles..
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