Boss Rafa Benitez believes if Torres hadn’t been struck down by injuries this season the Reds would still be in the title race rather than involved in a desperate scrap for fourth place.

“Yes, the gap would be reduced at the top,” Benitez said.

“By how much you never know, but to have Torres fully fit and scoring goals could make a big difference.

“We needed some confidence and we played really well against Portsmouth, and against Lille we played a very good game. Hopefully we can get a good result at Old Trafford.

“The rivalry between both teams is massive and we know everybody will be watching this game.

“We need to win. We want to be in the top four so we have to win a lot of games and get a lot of points.”

Torres has scored in the last two meetings with United and caused countless problems for defender Nemanja Vidic, who has been sent off against the Reds in three successive games.

“Vidic is a good player with experience so it will be tough for Torres to beat him but hopefully he can do it,” Benitez added.

“The main thing is the team is doing well and if we work like we did against Portsmouth and Lille then we can win against anyone.”

Alberto Aquilani returned to training yesterday after missing Thursday’s Europa League victory over Lille with a virus.

The Italian midfielder could be on the bench but Fabio Aurelio is still sidelined by a thigh injury.