Torres close to full fitness

Reds ace ahead of schedule with fitness

Last updated: 3rd September 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Torres close to full fitness

Torres: Closing on fitness

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Liverpool expect Fernando Torres to be back to his peak fitness next month as he is ahead of schedule in his fitness programme.

Torres endured an injury-ravaged season last term, being forced to undergo two knee operations and then he picked up an adductor injury in Spain's World Cup final victory in July.

Reds boss Roy Hodgson has been trying to nurse Torres back into action slowly and he has started Liverpool's last two games in the Premier League.

Liverpool's head of sports science Peter Brukner believes Torres, who scored his first goal for the club since April in last weekend's win over West Brom, will soon be back in top condition.

"He's actually slightly ahead of schedule - he played a game earlier than we thought," said Brukner, referring to the substitute appearance against Arsenal on the opening weekend of the season.

"He started off with a few minutes, then a few more minutes and then started the last couple of [Premier League] games.

"But for a kick on the shin against West Brom he would have played the whole game.

Physical peak

"We're now at the stage where he can play the whole game.

"He's still not at his physical peak, that will take another three or four weeks, but I think you can see in every game he's played he's improving.

"I don't think it will be too long before the old Fernando Torres is back - and I'm looking forward to that."