FERNANDO TORRES could still kick off Liverpool’s season against Arsenal on August 15, despite his dramatic collapse during Sunday’s World Cup final.

A scan carried out by the Spanish Football Federation (FSF) at the Cemtro de Madrid Clinic has diagnosed the problem as a grade one tear of the left thigh.

But the problem is not as serious as first thought when Torres slumped to the ground late in extra time of Spain’s 1-0 win over Holland in Johannesburg on Sunday.

A statement on the FSF website confirmed Torres had a magnetic resonance scan and evidence was found of “a Grade 1 muscle fibre rupture in the left thigh.”

Full details of the scan have now been passed on to Liverpool.

The club’s new Head of Sports Science and Medicine Peter Brukner said: “The initial assessment was he had a mild adductor tear and the Spanish medial staff didn’t consider it to be too serious at the time.

“He had an MRI scan yesterday which confirmed a small tear. He should be able to resume training within two to three weeks and be able to play again within three to four weeks.”

Torres is currently on a three-week break and while he probably won’t be risked in the Europa League third round qualifiers, he could be ready for the visit of Arsenal in the season’s Premier League curtain-raiser.