Rafael Benitez has defended his reign as Liverpool manager with the Anfield club facing European oblivion. A loss in tomorrow night’s Champions League clash with Group E leaders Lyon in the Stade de Gerland and they will be all but out of this season’s competition.

A seventh defeat in eight games would be something Liverpool have not experienced since Bill Shankly’s appointment as manager, 50 years ago.

Lyon, with three victories already, need one point to qualify for the last 16, while Liverpool have never lost three successive European Cup games in their history.

But with a frightening injury crisis, there is a very real prospect of a side missing Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson, Martin Skrtel, Fabio Aurelio and Albert Riera suffering that humiliation.

A Champions League exit would cost Liverpool upwards of €17million and leave their season facing ruin.

There would be more calls for Benitez’s head but the Spaniard cut a defiant figure, saying: “I am very pleased to be here and I wish to be here for a long time.”

Benitez is banking heavily on Fernando Torres getting through a large part of the match with what is now considered to be a hernia problem.

Gerrard did not even travel to France, and Benitez insists that a decision on whether his skipper needs a groin operation will not be taken until Liverpool return to Merseyside.

“We do not want either player to have an operation, we will hope that they continue to improve. It is too early to say just yet.”

Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani is on the verge of starting his first game for the club, while a late decision will be taken on Daniel Agger’s back problem.

Benitez said: “At one stage 14 players were injured or had a virus, no club could cope with that.

“It is not easy with this injury crisis. If any of the top sides in England lost four or five of their very best players and then four or five from their bench, they would struggle.

“People do not realise how important Torres and Gerrard are until you lose them, this situation is not easy for anyone. But we will do our best and we do have the experience of such situations.

“Two years ago we also needed to win our final three group matches, and we succeeded. We can do that again.

“The players here are strong enough for this challenge. The mentality of the group is good, and they are determined to win.”

But it is his own position as Liverpool boss that Benitez knows will come under further tough scrutiny if his walking wounded do lose to Lyon for the second time in a matter of weeks.

“The players are working very hard, they are positive and determined. They know this result is important for the club, for everyone. But our fans have not turned. They are clever people, they know the position the club was in when I arrived and they know what position it is in now, they know this is the only way,” said Benitez

“It is important for everyone to see the bigger picture, I am sure things will change in a few weeks when we have our players fit again. When we have our big players available, everything will change.

“I do not accept that we have not signed good players, some may not have settled as quickly, but we are doing a good job. This is not the right time to be discussing our signings. But we do have good players, and we have too many injuries.

“We have signed very good players, we have a good team and a good squad.”

He added: “Losing would be bad for us, bad for the club, but we will keep going. But we are not thinking that way, we are only thinking of winning. In a few weeks these problems will have gone. Key players will be fit.”

Benitez maintains that he still has the backing of his players, saying: “They are determined, they want to play and they want to win.”