Torres operation a 'success'

Spain remain confident that Fernando Torres will be fit in time for the World Cup after his second operation in four months on damaged cartilage in his right knee was deemed a success.

The Liverpool forward travelled to the Barcelona clinic of Dr Ramon Cugat, who carried out the initial surgery on Torres's torn meniscus, over the weekend, travelling by road and rail to circumvent the travel chaos caused by the Icelandic volcanic eruption.

Torres had complained of pain in his knee after the 4-1 Europa League quarter-final victory over Benfica earlier this month and travelled to Dr Cugat's Quiron clinic last week for an initial consultation.

Some fluid was drained from the knee and five days' rest prescribed before Sunday's secondary evaluation, after which Dr Cugat decided a further operation was required.

That surgery, carried out in the early hours of Monday morning, has been described as a "success" and Torres is now likely to be sidelined for as much as six weeks - the same recovery period he required after the initial operation - and is certain to miss the rest of Liverpool's campaign.

That has raised doubts over his involvement in Spain's World Cup 2010 squad.

Fernando Hierro, the country's technical director, has remained in constant contact with the player since he aggravated the injury and manager Vicente del Bosque has admitted that his growing injury list - which also includes Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas - is "a worry."

Del Bosque is due to announce his 23-man squad for the finals on May 19, before his side meets up for a training camp at Las Rozas, near Madrid, five days later.

Spain are then due to travel to Innsbruck, in Austria, for high-altitude training before travelling to South Africa in the first week of June.

It is thought that Torres will have recovered in time to be named as part of the squad, with sources close to the player suggesting he is a "certainty" to play in South Africa as long as he does not encounter any set-backs in his recuperation period.

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