Hospital Tests For Liverpool's Fernando Torres

By Jonny Esthero

Liverpool's Fernando Torres had hospital tests on Thursday on the groin injury which is threatening to plague his season.

The Spanish striker and Liverpool's main goal threat played the majority of Wednesday night's 1-1 Champions League draw at Lyon, a result which severely damaged Liverpool's hopes of progressing from the group stages.

It has since emerged that Torres played through the game in pain, before flying back on Thursday morning and later visiting the hospital for tests on his injury.

Manager Rafael Benitez believes that Torres will eventually need surgery on an injury he describes as "a poor man's hernia," but Liverpool would dearly love to hold on to their top-scorer for as long as possible. An operation could put him out of action until after Christmas, whilst any further complications could affect his World Cup chances.

A Liverpool spokesman said: "Fernando attended a Liverpool hospital today for further tests. It is nothing more dramatic than that, it is just further tests as part of his rehabilitation programme."

After the game in Lyon Benitez said: "He wants to wait rather than have an operation. He wants to work with the physios to try to solve his problems, but still he has pain."

With Steven Gerrard also out, Torres' situation represents yet another headache for the under-fire Liverpool boss.

He added: "Whether there is the need for him or Steven Gerrard to have an operation is a decision we will not take straight away.

"We must see how he can improve and by how much, then we will decide about any possible operation."