Rafa: Torres absence has hurt us

RAFA BENITEZ admits the absence of Fernando Torres has been the key reason for Liverpool FC's faltering season - but believes his team can still ensure a silver lining to the campaign.

The Anfield outfit begin their Europa League campaign when they host Romanian champions Unirea Urziceni in the first leg of their round of 32 tie this evening.

Liverpool dropped into the competition after being eliminated from the group stage of the Champions League for the first time in six seasons under Benitez.

Torres started only half of the six group games and has been hampered for much of the season by a succession of problems.

The striker this week resumed light training, having been sidelined for more than a month following an operation on damaged knee ligaments.

And Benitez has pointed to the influence of Wayne Rooney on Manchester United in recent months as to how much Liverpool have missed Torres, who remains the club's leading scorer this season with 12 goals in 21 games.

"It's the same for every team," said the Anfield manager. "If you lose your top scorer for a lot of games then it will cost you. We lost a lot of players at the same time, players with quality - Agger, Johnson, Yossi, Gerrard, Torres - all at the same time, and we've lost Aurelio for much of the season.

"Any team would find it difficult to manage without those numbers and that quality. And it is more difficult if you lose your striker who can be such a difference.

"When you talk about a good player, at his best moment he can be a massive difference, but only for a good team.

"One player, without good team-mates around them, it will be impossible, but United are a good team, so if they have a good player in front like Rooney, it can make a difference."

Torres, along with fellow long-term absentee Glen Johnson, is expected to be back in full training next week.

Benitez has previously admitted that securing a fourth-place Premier League finish and qualification for next season's Champions League is the priority for his team.

And while the Spaniard has promised a "strong line-up" for this evening's match, he accepts the enforced lowering of sights in Europe could prove an issue both on and off the field.

"It's difficult to say what the motivation will be like," said Benitez yesterday. "Today the training session was good, with intensity and everyone focused.

"Tomorrow, before the game we will see the atmosphere but it depends on us, if we can play well and get everyone behind us.

"The problem with Unirea is that they are defensively good, play on the counter-attack, so it will not be an open game, and not a game you enjoy watching.

"We have to be patient, but if we start with a high tempo, our fans will be pushing us on. If we cannot do this, hopefully they can help the players."

Benitez added: "You have to understand the situation and move forward. As soon as we knew we were not in the Champions League we had to be ready for the Europa League and try to do our best.

"I was flicking between both Champions League games on Tuesday night, and watching the games I can say we are more or less at the same level.

"We have to be focused in the league, try to be in the Champions League next year and try to do well in Europe too to bring silverware.

"It's always important to win a trophy. The UEFA Cup has been good for our fans in the past, and the Europa League has to be important for us now.

"But I'm only looking as far as Unirea, I don't want to talk about winning the trophy now."

Albert Riera, Alberto Aquilani, Ryan Babel and Sotirios Kyrgiakos are all pressing for a recall, while Jamie Carragher resumed training yesterday after limping out of last Wednesday's defeat at Arsenal with an adductor problem. Yossi Benayoun is also available after missing the last month.

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.