Liverpool boss Benitez to push Torres against medical advice

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is ready to risk the fitness of Fernando Torres for Monday's clash with Birmingham City.

The Daily Mail says Torres does not need surgery on his groin injury but has been told to take three weeks' rest, according to reports in Spain.

However, it's understood Benitez is considering risking his talisman in Monday's fixture at home to Birmingham.

If Torres was to listen to the Spanish diagnosis, the striker would miss Liverpool's next four matches, including the must-win Champions League match at Debrecen and the Merseyside derby on November 29.

The 25-year-old was assessed in Valencia on Thursday afternoon after seeking a second opinion on his injury from Spanish expert Dr Ramon Cugat.

He has so far played through the pain of a problem described as not a full hernia but a deeper groin injury affecting his adductor muscle.