Soccer:Liverpool's hopes of salvaging their season have suffered another setback with Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun all sidelined. The club confirmed the three players will be out for varying lengths of time up to six weeks.
Inspirational captain Gerrard is out for a fortnight with a torn hamstring while Benayoun has fractured a rib and will not play again for around four weeks.
The news is a hefty blow for manager Rafael Benitez, who is under increasing pressure following his side's humiliating FA Cup loss to Reading.
The Reds' 2-1 loss to the Championship strugglers in an FA Cup third-round replay last night all but ended the club's chances of winning domestic silverware this season.
Liverpool are seventh in the Premier League and now out of both cups as well as the Champions League.
Having begun the season with high hopes of winning a first title since 1990, it has been a hugely disappointing campaign. The priority is now securing a place in the top four and there is still the Europa League to play for.
Yet without players they have been regularly criticised for relying too heavily on, Benitez and his team are now facing a major challenge.
All three will miss games against Stoke, Tottenham and Wolves with Gerrard hoping to return to face Bolton on January 30.
If Benayoun is out for three weeks, he will also miss Bolton and possibly the Merseyside derby with Everton on February 6th.
Torres will not feature in any of those games or further Premier League matches against Arsenal and Manchester City and the two-legged Europa League clash with Romanian team Unirea Urziceni.
A club spokesman said: "Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres both underwent scans earlier today after coming off in the FA Cup tie against Reading.
"Steven has a hamstring strain and will be out for a fortnight, while Fernando has torn a cartilage in his right knee. The injury will require surgery and he is expected to be sidelined for six weeks.
"Yossi Benayoun also suffered a fractured rib in the game and will be unavailable for between three and four weeks."
Despite the gloom and growing calls for him to leave, Benitez remains defiant
and believes he can turn the situation around.
The Spaniard said: “A lot of people are talking about me, but I have to look forward and keep working hard. All I can do is to try to do my best every day, every match. That is all
anyone can do.
“Right from the beginning of the season there have been problems, (privately) we feared it could be like that. But the only option is to carry on, to do your best to change things around.
“In any race you have to try to move forward as quickly as possible. I accept that the season has become bad, certainly not the best. There have been too many bad moments.
“We can only carry on and be ready for the next game. All we can say is that we must focus on the next challenge.”