PREMIER LEAGUE
Stoke v Liverpool ko 12:45pm

Liverpool in current form are no 5/4 in our books given recent form and will not fancy the in your face style of Stoke at the Britannia stadium.

Rafael Benitez has suffered a serious blow in his battle to salvage Liverpool's shattered season as he lost the services of three star players.

Top scorer Fernando Torres, talismanic captain Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun, arguably the club's best outfield player this term, have all learned they face lay-offs after undergoing scans.

The trio were all injured in the humiliating FA Cup loss to Championship strugglers Reading which piled on the pressure for Benitez.

Stoke at 11/4 generally can add to Benitez's woes.

The injury to Torres is the biggest blow with the Spain striker requiring surgery on a torn knee cartilage that will rule him out for six weeks.

Gerrard is expected to be missing for a fortnight with a torn hamstring while Benayoun will be absent for up to four weeks with a fractured rib.

The loss of players he has been regularly been criticised for relying too heavily on is the last thing Benitez needed in the aftermath of another embarrassing result.

The 2-1 third-round replay reverse at Anfield was the latest upset in a season that has seen the so-called title challengers fall out of Premier League contention and exit the UEFA Champions League early.

Currently seventh in the Premier League, they are facing a tough battle to retain a top-four place, and their elimination from both cups leaves them with just the Europa League to otherwise occupy them.

With impressive off-season signing Glen Johnson also out until the middle of next month, Benitez has a tough task to rouse his side for the games ahead.

Liverpool face Tottenham and Wolves after Stoke before the first of the missing key players, Gerrard, can return.

If Benayoun is out for three weeks, he will also miss the game against Bolton on January 30 and possibly the following week's Merseyside derby with Everton.

Torres will not feature in any of those games or further Premier League matches against Arsenal and Man City and the two-legged Europa League clash with Romanian team Unirea Urziceni.

Benitez complained after the Reading defeat of 'things that happened I did not like' but declined to criticise referee Phil Dowd, who gave Reading a debatable penalty in injury-time which forced the match into extra-time.

But the former Valencia boss was believed to have been upset by some of the physical challenges aimed at Torres, Gerrard and Benayoun.

Stan Pulis has put together a decent side and only Man Utd, Chelsea and inform Birmingham have taken the points at the Brittania. With key players missing it's difficult to see where the goals will come from Liverpool. Stoke do not rely on individuals with goals spread throughout the team.

Published 16-01-2010

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