Benitez banking on Torres gamble

Fernando Torres will carry the hopes of Liverpool on his shoulders tonight, with boss Rafael Benitez praying his gamble to play the injured striker pays off.

Liverpool face group E leaders Lyon in the Stade Gerland knowing that only a victory will keep alive any realistic hopes of staying in the Champions League this season.

They are without Steven Gerrard, Martin Skrtel, Fabio Aurelio, Albert Riera and Glen Johnson.

Torres, despite struggling with a hernia problem, will start the match and so too could Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani.

Centre-back Daniel Agger will face a late test on a back injury, and Liverpool could well have teenage full-back Stephen Darby in the side.

Benitez says: 'Fernando is improving, we do not want him to have an operation so we are managing his fitness carefully. But he is getting better. He had some pain after he played, and scored, against Manchester United. But he was better after the Fulham game at the weekend, although he could still feel something wrong.

'I hope that he will be even better for this match. I said recently that 80 per cent of Fernando can win matches, I hope that is the case again.'

But it is his own position as Liverpool boss that Benitez knows will come under further tough scrutiny if his walking wounded do lose to Lyon for the second time in a matter of weeks.

He says: 'The players are working very hard, they are positive and determined. They know this result is important for the club, for everyone.

'But our fans have not turned. They are clever people, they know the position the club was in when I arrived and they know what position it is in now, they know this is the only way.

'It is important for everyone to see the bigger picture, I am sure things will change in a few weeks when we have our players fit again. When we have our big players available, everything will change.

'I do not accept that we have not signed good players, some may not have settled as quickly, but we are doing a good job. This is not the right time to be discussing our signings. But we do have good players, and we have too many injuries.

'We have signed very good players, we have a good team and a good squad.'

He added: 'Losing would be bad for us, bad for the club, but we will keep going. But we are not thinking that way, we are only thinking of winning.

'In a few weeks these problems will have gone. Key players will be fit.'

LIVERPOOL TEAM NEWS:

Glen Johnson and Fabio Aurelio both failed to make Liverpool's squad for the Champions league Group E clash in Lyon on Wednesday.

Both were given fitness tests on calf injuries ahead of the party flying out from Liverpool, and were left behind on Merseyside for further treatment.

Liverpool have been given permission from UEFA to bring in teenage defender Daniel Ayala from their B list of players registered for the group matches, such is their injury crisis which sees six players ruled out, including Steven Gerrard.

Liverpool squad: Reina, Carragher, Agger, Kyrgiakos, Insua, Lucas, Mascherano, Benayoun, Kuyt, Aquilani, Babel, Ayala, Spearing, Darby, Torres, Voronin, Ngog, Plessis, Cavalieri.

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