FERNANDO TORRES is set to miss out for Liverpool this evening as Rafael Benitez refuses to risk the long-term fitness of the Spanish striker.

But Steven Gerrard could make his comeback from injury against Birmingham City despite being left out of England’s squad for the friendly with Brazil in Qatar this Saturday.

Torres will also not be considered by Spain for their forthcoming clash against Argentina with Benitez winning the battle to protect the talismanic duo from further injury while on international duty.

The striker visited a specialist in Valencia last week for a second opinion on his groin injury, with reports from Spain suggesting the forward has been ordered to rest for three weeks.

And Benitez is likely to err on the side of caution tonight in the hope Liverpool’s leading goalscorer will not ultimately require an operation.

“Fernando was with a Spanish specialist and talking with our staff and we know the situation and have to carry on,” said Benitez. “The specialist said for Fernando to keep working with the physios and see if he can progress and little by little we will decide. It depends on the reaction of the player. What can you do when you say rest? It’s not just in bed. He will not be playing any games if he doesn’t go with Spain, so he can just keep working with the physios.

“It’s our decision if he plays against Birmingham or not. He is feeling better than he was before so he can carry on with the pain, it’s not a problem. It’s a question of whether he’ll be fully fit or not.”

Gerrard has been undergoing intensive treatment on the groin problem that has restricted him to just 25 minutes of football in Liverpool’s last six games.

The 29-year-old did not train with his team-mates for more than a fortnight but has a chance of returning on the bench for tonight’s Premier League visit of Birmingham.

While Benitez believes Gerrard may be fit enough for a cameo appearance, the midfielder remains some way short of full match fitness.

The Liverpool manager has long been unhappy with the way Gerrard’s fitness has been managed while on international duty, a misgiving exacerbated by the midfielder suffering his latest problem when with England last month.