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Duo face fitness fight
Liverpool, 12:08, November 1, 2009 ,
Liverpool look set to be without Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard for the crucial showdown against Lyon on Wednesday night.
Gerrard was forced to miss Saturday's 3-1 defeat against Fulham with a groin problem while Torres was substituted with 30 minutes left on the clock at Craven Cottage.
Torres has been struggling with an abductor muscle injury while he is thought to have taken a knock to his ankle at Fulham. Reds boss Rafa Benitez will monitor the fitness of both players in the lead up to the must-win game in France but they have to be rated doubtful at this stage.
Meanwhile, Benitez has defended his decision to take off Torres with the game yesterday delicately poised at 1-1, and says the Spanish ace is not fully fit.
"We decided to play Fernando Torres against Manchester United (last Sunday) and it was a difficult decision because he was not 100 per cent fit," Benitez revealed. "He needed four days to be ready and is still not 100 per cent fit.
"We decided to put him on the pitch but we had to protect him and that's why we took him out after 60 minutes. I don't want to lose an important player like Fernando for one month."