Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is confident star striker Fernando Torres is close to full fitness.
Striker set to start again in derby cup clash
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is confident star striker Fernando Torres is close to full fitness.
Torres started his first game since November in Monday night's clash with Everton and hit the post in the 1-1 draw at Anfield.
He is in line to face the Reds' Merseyside rivals again in Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round tie and Benitez feels his fellow Spaniard is nearing peak condition.
"I was impressed with him on Monday," Benitez told the club's
official website. "It is not easy to play in a derby when it is so intense. He was exhausted at the end but he did well.
"He is very close to full fitness - now it's just about getting match fitness. He needs to play games.
"You know a striker needs to play games and be in front of the goal a few times. That's the key - getting the confidence.
"The more chances you get the more likely you are to start scoring goals. Hopefully he can score this weekend."
Must improve
Benitez is also hoping Liverpool will learn from the mistakes which contributed to Everton's equaliser after Yossi Benayoun gave away a needless free-kick and Tim Cahill was left unmarked to head home.
He added: "We have talked about both things. We had to be careful and not commit silly fouls, and then after we had to defend the set-piece.
"Okay, we made the mistake and maybe we can learn from it for the future.
"Clearly we have talked about this. The players realise that we have to improve. But we are not conceding too many goals and it is always going to seem worse when you concede such an important goal in a derby.
"We work on these things every week, practising set-pieces for and against."
