Liverpool management are hopeful of Fernando Torres making the Merseyside derby on Sunday.

Liverpool's head of sports science and sports medicine Peter Brukner says the 26-year-old is making excellent progress and could feature in Roy Hodgson's line-up at Everton this weekend.

Brukner told Liverpoolfc.tv: "Fernando is doing pretty well. He had a slight tear in one of his adductor muscles very early on in the game against Blackpool that prevented him going away with Spain in the internationals.

"He has had intense treatment over the last 10 days and responded very well to that treatment.

"He's ready to resume training today and if we can build up his training and get through the next few days, then we are optimistic but not certain that he will be able to line up against Everton.

"It's still early days but so far so good. He has responded well to the treatment but we will just have to wait and see whether he is able to build up his training sufficiently.

"He'll join in the full training session on Thursday, then build up Friday and Saturday. If he gets through these sessions and he is able to stretch out fully and has no after effect from the sessions then he will be able to play.

"So we are optimistic he will be ready but it's still too early to say for sure."