Rafael Benitez is hoping against hope that Fernando Torres is fit to face Lyon in Liverpool's crucial Champions League tie on Wednesday.

The Liverpool manager took a gamble by substituting the striker after 63 minutes with the score locked 1-1 against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday. It backfired when Fulham scored two more for a 3-1 win that left Liverpool's Premier league title hopes in tatters.

Benitez, however, had no regrets at taking off Torres, who took four days to recover from an 80-minute appearance against Man United at Anfield last Sunday. Benitez said: "We needed to do something to protect the player. We were more or less in control of the game. If we had left him on the pitch maybe we would have lost him for a month. It was a difficult decision but we decided to start with him because he can do a proper warm-up. But we decided to take him out at 60 minutes."