You are in > manchester.com  > News > Torres 'may miss Christmas games'

General Sport

Torres 'may miss Christmas games'

04/12/2008

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has admitted that Fernando Torres could face longer than the initially-predicted two- to three-week period on the sidelines this December.

The Spanish striker was ruled out with a hamstring strain – his second of the campaign – last month and given a recovery time that would see him return before the Reds' busy festive schedule.

However, Benitez has now said the club "will not rush him back", despite the team's struggling for goals without Torres' threat up front.

"We first said two to three weeks, but we do not want to put a time on it now," Benitez explained.

"He will come back when he is ready."

Benitez admitted the club may have been guilty of bringing Torres back into the first-team fold too early last time he suffered the problem and vowed to learn from this mistake.

"We want to resolve this problem once and for all," he added.

"And we will make sure we do that."