Striker to play through pain for Reds

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is set to play through the pain barrier against Lyon but Daniel Agger faces a late fitness test.

Torres is carrying a groin injury but the club are desperate to nurse him through it rather than see him have an operation and he will start tonight, centre half Agger meanwhile faces a late test on his back injury.

There is likely to be a place on the bench for Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani but the Reds are without Steven Gerrard, Martin Skrtel, Fabio Aurelio, Albert Riera and Glen Johnson.

Boss Rafa 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."