RAFA BENITEZ’S Kop crisis deepened last night as he admitted Fernando Torres may need an operation.

The Spanish striker is battling a damaged groin and surgery could KO him for two months. Steven Gerrard might also go under the knife on Thursday if a scan on his groin confirms the worst.

Liverpool boss Benitez will play Torres in Lyon tomorrow, despite his injury. (Huh!)

But he said: “We are trying to manage, as he was close to having an operation. Two days after the Fulham game, he is still feeling something.

“He is not comfortable and hasn’t got the power he had before, so we have to try to protect him.

“Fernando cannot play well if you keep pushing him. Maybe if you push him he will be injured for a long time.”

Benitez controversially substituted Torres during Saturday’s 3-1 Craven Cottage defeat to give him a chance of making the must-win Lyon clash.

He added: “When you talk about big names, people just analyse the names and not how the player is when he is on the pitch.

“Fernando has had problems in the last month after the international games and wasn’t 100 per cent fit.

“But we have to take Fernando to Lyon because we do not have too many options.”

Skipper Gerrard, defenders Martin Skrtel and Martin Kelly and winger Albert Riera are definitely out of the Lyon crunch.

The Reds are also sweating on late tests for Glen Johnson, Fabio Aurelio, Daniel Agger and David Ngog.

Liverpool are third in Group E, six points behind Lyon and three off Fiorentina.

While defeat would not mathematically end their Champions League dreams, it would all but finish them off – costing upwards of £10million in prize money and turning the screw more on Benitez.

source, image via daylife