Champions League - Benitez waits on Torres
Rafa Benitez will make a late decision on the fitness of Fernando Torres ahead of Liverpool's Champions League date with Atletico Madrid.
Torres has missed the Reds' last five games with a hamstring injury, including the first meeting with Atletico in the Spanish capital a fortnight ago.
Benitez accepts that Torres "can change games" but is happy enough with the performances of his other strikers and does not to want to gamble on the 24 year-old's long-term fitness as they seek to bounce back from Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Tottenham.
The Liverpool boss said: "We have been winning without Fernando, not on Saturday of course, but I have been very happy with the other strikers.
"He can win games on his own, so we would want him in our side if he is fit.
"Torres is a fantastic player, he can change games. But we have been playing so well we have not missed him.
"If he is confident and wants to play, he will play. If he is not ready then we will not take a risk."
Torres trained on Monday and Benitez will make an assessment nearer kick-off, although he intimated he is most likely to be on the substitutes' bench if he is involved at all.
He said: "Torres is 70% ready, he has trained today, will train tomorrow and then we will decide. I want to wait to see how he feels.
"It depends on the player, if the player is confident you can take a risk, but if he is not confident you have to wait.
"He has had this problem before, but I do not see it as being a real worry. What we must do is make sure that when he is with the Spanish international team, that risks are not taken.
"We are in contact with the Spanish set-up and hope that in future the fitness coach is more under control.
"If Torres has confidence then he can be involved. If not then it is better to wait.
"Clearly he would like to play against his former club, he has a great relationship with their fans and the whole club. He wants to show them what a good player he is, but we must wait to see how he is."
Benitez clearly believes the setback at White Hart Lane was just a blip and added: "What happened at Spurs will not change how we do things. We will attack, we will try to score goals and be dominant.
"But we need to be more clinical in front of goal. That is the key to maintaining our form.
"I am not worried about what happened at Spurs. Watching the game we were so good, all we needed to do was take our chances.
"When you are playing well, there is no point complaining or worrying. Afterwards we could not believe what had happened.
"We were totally on top of the first half, and for much of the second period. We just had to take the chances and it would have been over.
"We are playing so well, all we have to do is keep doing the same thing. We have nothing to prove, the main thing now is to just concentrate on what we know is right."
If Liverpool win and PSV Eindhoven lose in Marseille, the five-times European champions will be in the last 16.
Benitez said: "It would be a great bonus to qualify at this early stage, but the first thing we must do is make sure we win against Atletico.
"I would think that 11 points should be enough to qualify. I say that because if PSV win in Marseille, it suddenly becomes more difficult.
"We have seven points already, if we beat Atletico it is virtually over but we must not consider such things ahead of playing a very good side.
"Let's just win the games, then we can look at the group table and work out what is needed.
"Since we drew in Madrid, they have drawn 4-4 with Villarreal and beaten Mallorca 2-0, with (Sergio) Aguero returning to score twice.
"Madrid are doing well, but they do have problems. Their strengths and weaknesses are the same, but they do have Aguero back and he is a very good player.
"We have players who have the right mentality to handle this. Nobody is certain of a place, everyone is playing so well so I have plenty of choice."
Benitez accepts that Torres "can change games" but is happy enough with the performances of his other strikers and does not to want to gamble on the 24 year-old's long-term fitness as they seek to bounce back from Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Tottenham.
The Liverpool boss said: "We have been winning without Fernando, not on Saturday of course, but I have been very happy with the other strikers.
"He can win games on his own, so we would want him in our side if he is fit.
"Torres is a fantastic player, he can change games. But we have been playing so well we have not missed him.
"If he is confident and wants to play, he will play. If he is not ready then we will not take a risk."
Torres trained on Monday and Benitez will make an assessment nearer kick-off, although he intimated he is most likely to be on the substitutes' bench if he is involved at all.
He said: "Torres is 70% ready, he has trained today, will train tomorrow and then we will decide. I want to wait to see how he feels.
"It depends on the player, if the player is confident you can take a risk, but if he is not confident you have to wait.
"He has had this problem before, but I do not see it as being a real worry. What we must do is make sure that when he is with the Spanish international team, that risks are not taken.
"We are in contact with the Spanish set-up and hope that in future the fitness coach is more under control.
"If Torres has confidence then he can be involved. If not then it is better to wait.
"Clearly he would like to play against his former club, he has a great relationship with their fans and the whole club. He wants to show them what a good player he is, but we must wait to see how he is."
Benitez clearly believes the setback at White Hart Lane was just a blip and added: "What happened at Spurs will not change how we do things. We will attack, we will try to score goals and be dominant.
"But we need to be more clinical in front of goal. That is the key to maintaining our form.
"I am not worried about what happened at Spurs. Watching the game we were so good, all we needed to do was take our chances.
"When you are playing well, there is no point complaining or worrying. Afterwards we could not believe what had happened.
"We were totally on top of the first half, and for much of the second period. We just had to take the chances and it would have been over.
"We are playing so well, all we have to do is keep doing the same thing. We have nothing to prove, the main thing now is to just concentrate on what we know is right."
If Liverpool win and PSV Eindhoven lose in Marseille, the five-times European champions will be in the last 16.
Benitez said: "It would be a great bonus to qualify at this early stage, but the first thing we must do is make sure we win against Atletico.
"I would think that 11 points should be enough to qualify. I say that because if PSV win in Marseille, it suddenly becomes more difficult.
"We have seven points already, if we beat Atletico it is virtually over but we must not consider such things ahead of playing a very good side.
"Let's just win the games, then we can look at the group table and work out what is needed.
"Since we drew in Madrid, they have drawn 4-4 with Villarreal and beaten Mallorca 2-0, with (Sergio) Aguero returning to score twice.
"Madrid are doing well, but they do have problems. Their strengths and weaknesses are the same, but they do have Aguero back and he is a very good player.
"We have players who have the right mentality to handle this. Nobody is certain of a place, everyone is playing so well so I have plenty of choice."
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