Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez must think that the gods are working against him as he has suffered some more bad news after last nights unlikely home draw against Birmingham.

Fernando Torres decided he wasn’t well enough to play yesterday so he began his three-week course of rest and treatment for his hernia in the hope of avoiding the need for an operation.

Albert Riera was taken off at half-time yesterday and it looks like has got a tear in his hamstring, and Yossi Benayoun suffered the same problem.

To make it worse Daniel Agger also has a back problem!

Benitez said last night: “Riera had the same problem as before.

“The players are sometimes available but not 100 per cent ready. We thought he was okay but in the end you can see he wasn’t.

“Yossi has the same problem as Riera. Some players are playing too many games in a row. They are working very hard and so you always have this risk. I think both will have tears.

“Agger also had a problem with his back. It’s not serious but he felt it a little bit.

“Torres had no confidence and said he couldn’t play, so we started the treatment yesterday.

“He has to work with the physios and try to improve and be ready. We are not talking about an operation at this moment, we’re talking about treating him properly.

“I don’t know if he will be ready for Man City. The only thing I can say is we’re talking about two or three weeks working with the physios. We haven’t got a deadline, we just need to see how he is every day.”

The only bit of good news for Rafa was that Gerrard came on to replace Riera and has got his first 45 minutes of football for a month.