Torres return

[souliv]

Christmas period is approaching do people think Torres will be back for 26th, think it would be a great boost to have him back, could revert to Rafa's favoured formation and play a more expansive game which should lead to us winning more home games.

For one night only go on the Toffees !!!

[The_weatherman]

Christmas period is approaching do people think Torres will be back for 26th, think it would be a great boost to have him back, could revert to Rafa's favoured formation and play a more expansive game which should lead to us winning more home games.

For one night only go on the Toffees !!!

Hopefully we can give him time off until january 10th, I want this sorted once and for all - this season at least.

[Craig_H]

We're already playing rafa's favoured formation.

[Mystery]

Hopefully we can give him time off until january 10th, I want this sorted once and for all - this season at least.

I can't wait to have him back, but I agree with this!

Let's trust our lads to get nine points from the next matches against Bolton, Newcastle and Stoke.

If Torres is rushed back and gets injured again it won't be easy to win the league.

[Pass-move]

If he's fit, play him. Don't see the point of protecting him anymore than necessary. It just means he'll take longer to get match fit.

[Matt]

I doubt he'll be back this year, given that he's only played a handful of matches all season then a softly-softly approach this time is all the more important.

[Parm]

well we do need a bit of an injection of confidence and Torres can be the answer for us. The sooner he is back the better. Rafa was already mentioning that he was a week or so away last week so the bolton game would be an ideal intro.

[memzey]

We could well do with him back, however an over physical bolton team kicking the socks off a newly returned FT sounds a bit dodgey to me. I think we should have enough in the locker to beat them without Torres. Keep him up our sleves until after the FA cup I say

[Matt]

Indeed, we really need him firing on all cylinders for the next 4-5 months so it's better to wait a couple more weeks now.

If it was me I'd give him some game time in the ressies or if they havent got any games organise a full-scale practice match or two at Melwood/Kirkby.

Don't forget the mental aspect as well - the injury will play on his mind when he gets out there.

If he does get thrown back into action at the deep end I at least hope it's not when we're chasing a game.

[magicalbarnes]

Got a feeling, he will be on the bench for the Newcastle match.

[Shanks]

Fernando Torres is being considered for a Boxing Day return in Liverpool's Premier League match against Bolton Wanderers at Anfield, having resumed training after a month on the sidelines caused by a hamstring injury.

The Spanish forward, who has been restricted to 16 appearances for Liverpool this season because of three hamstring injuries, has undergone intensive rehabilitation at the club's Melwood training ground.

In his month away from the first team Liverpool's medical staff have attempted to analyse every aspect of his hamstring and the frailties that have contributed to his problems.

He has also been subjected to a strengthening programme and the club's assistant manager, Sammy Lee, said the 24-year-old was reaping the benefits of the treatment.

"Fernando is improving," Lee said. "He has worked very hard with his rehab and the state of play is that he is improving.

I don't want to give any clues away but all I will say is that his rehab is really coming on.

It's going very, very well and he is training with the lads.

"There was no way that he could have been ready for Arsenal [last Sunday] but, in terms of the Christmas period, then I will just say that his rehab is coming on well. Such is the quality and class of Fernando that when he is not there he is clearly going to be missed.

So when he is back, ready and available for us again, he will be a great addition to the squad.

"His rehab is such that when he is ready we will know and that will be the time that he is 100% ready to go back into the team.

You have to take the positives out of every negative situation and, having played throughout last summer with Spain, maybe he has benefited from his enforced absence. It wasn't nice to have Fernando injured and missing but that's the nature of the game."

Liverpool will celebrate Christmas Day as Premier League leaders for the first time since 1996.

Lee said that was a tribute to the quality of the squad assembled by Rafael Benítez, who is also expected to return on Friday after recovering from an operation to remove kidney stones.

"When you miss a world-class player it will always be a problem but we have covered really well," Lee said.

"It speaks volumes for the squad that they have been able to stay at the top with Fernando being unavailable for lengthy periods.

But we are always optimistic here and our aim is to win things and be top.

We are not surprised by the position we are in."

Lee, pondering three league draws in a row at Anfield, said Liverpool had to beat Bolton, the club who sacked him as manager last season.

"Sometimes you have to give credit to your opponents, but of course you have to beat these teams if you are going to win titles.

Opponents can be well organised and well prepared, so we just have to make sure we are better organised and better prepared."

[Elvoz]

i would prefer to give him a couple more days and bring him back to run the geordie maggots ragged

in fact tbh i would wait til 10th january - we cant afford for him to be out again and bolton , newcastle and preston are all "winnable" games

[nineteen years]

use the squad i reckon

me mrs could even bag 3 against at the barcodes

[Elvoz]

use the squad i reckon

me mrs could even bag 3 against at the barcodes

i make ya right newbie

[anfieldanfield]

Stoke on the 10th of Jan is the word on the street.