Liverpool striker Torres to return against Atletico?

Rafa Benitez is hoping Fernando Torres will be fit to return to the Liverpool team against his former club Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

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Torres has been forced to watch from the stands

Torres
has missed the Reds' last five matches after suffering a hamstring
injury on international duty with Spain last month and failed to
recover in time to take a place on the bench in Saturday's 2-1 defeat
at Tottenham.

Liverpool welcome Atletico to Anfield in the
Champions League and Benitez is keen to have Torres back in his plans
after his attack stuttered in recent games.

"Hopefully he will be
ready," said Benitez on the club's official website. ''If he cannot
start the game then he will be on the bench if everything is okay.

"Clearly when you have a striker with the quality and potential of Torres, and he is available, it's a very good option.

"We
have an important match against Atletico Madrid and having Fernando
starting or on the bench is a good option for us. He really wants to
play as he hasn't played for a while. And he was very frustrated not to
play in the first game against them."

Meanwhile, Atletico coach Javier Aguirre's decision to bring Sergio
Aguero back into his starting line-up on Saturday paid off with
the Argentina forward scoring twice in a 2-0 Primera Liga
victory at home to Real Mallorca.

It was Atletico's first league win in five matches and
followed a battling 4-4 draw at Villarreal the previous weekend
for which Aguero was rested.

"The win against Mallorca was a relief," Aguirre said on
Atletico's website.

"We are out of intensive care but we are still under
observation," he said, adding that Aguero would be in the squad
for the Liverpool tie but still had work to do on his fitness.

"He still needs two weeks of specific work," Aguirre said.
"I'll take him to Liverpool but he'll continue to work
intensively. He's fresher but there is still more to do."