RAFAEL BENITEZ believes the return of Fernando Torres is like signing a new player ahead of Liverpool’s crucial run-in to the end of the season.

The Spain international scored his 13th goal in 17 Premier League matches in the 2-1 win over Blackburn at Anfield on Sunday.

It was his first strike of 2010, having been sidelined for almost six weeks following a knee operation.

But Benitez is hopeful his star striker will provide the necessary impetus to secure fourth place in the table ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Aston Villa, while bolstering Liverpool’s efforts of Europa League glory.

“It was really important for us and really important for him as he will have more confidence,” said Benitez of Torres’s goal.

“It was clear he was not fully fit and his match fitness is not the best but he can make the difference and he scored an important goal.

“If he can improve his fitness he will be a very good addition for us and he can be a threat for all the defenders.

“He can create space for Steven Gerrard and the other players and, if you are under pressure, he can score goals on his own.”

Having scored 10 in his first 11 league matches, a niggling groin problem followed by his knee injury restricted the 25-year-old to three goals since the end of October.

Benitez now hopes that if he can keep Torres fit for the remaining two-and-a-half months of the season it could have a significant bearing on their Champions League qualification ambitions.

“The main thing now is to manage him properly and keep him fit and he can make the difference,” said the manager.

“We have Yossi Benayoun coming back, now Fernando and maybe next week Glen Johnson will be fit and available so it will be good news.

“We were a little bit better (against Blackburn) and if we have players with more quality in attack and more competition maybe that will make a difference in terms of goals.”