Liverpool's Fernando Torres will not start against Unirea Urziceni
in Thursday's second leg of the Europa League round of 32 match,
but manager Rafael Benitez did not rule out the Spain striker
playing some role in the game.
Torres, 25, made his first appearance for Liverpool in five
weeks in Sunday's 0-0 draw with Manchester City when he came on as
a late substitute. Torres has been sidelined due to a knee injury.
While Benitez said it's possible Torres could make an
appearance against Unirea, he reiterated that the club will
exercise caution in bringing its star forward back.
"Now it is a question of one step at a time," Benitez said
Wednesday. "You cannot push him too hard because you could lose the
player and it is not necessary."
Liverpool won the first leg 1-0 at home. Despite the
advantage, forward Ryan Babel said there is still plenty of
pressure because of how important it is for the club to claim some
silverware.
"At Liverpool we try to win every trophy that it is possible
to go for," Babel told the Liverpool Echo.
After being eliminated from the Champions League and without
a chance of winning any domestic competitions, the Europa League
represents Liverpool's only chance of claiming a trophy this
season.
Babel hopes to contribute to Liverpool's trophy pursuit after
recently returning to the side. Babel fell out with Benitez last
month and was dropped from the squad after some posts on his
Twitter page upset the Liverpool manager. But he started Sunday's
match against Manchester City and hopes to play an important role
for the remainder of the season.
Benfica was the first team to advance to the next round of
European football's second-tier competition after clinching a 4-0
win at home Tuesday in its second leg match against Hertha Berlin,
winning 5-1 on aggregate.
The remaining 30 teams all play their second leg matches
Thursday.
Juventus is sitting comfortably as it takes on Ajax at home
after claiming a 2-1 win in Amsterdam in the first leg.
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said last week's result gave
Juventus a lift in confidence.
"Victories give you a boost in confidence and we need to give
continuity to our result," Buffon said. "We will pick up where we
left off in our game in Amsterdam."
Ajax must win for the first time in Turin if it is to
advance, having lost all four matches it has played there
previously.
Hamburg will be missing striker Ruud van Nistelrooy when it
travels to PSV Eindhoven, the club where the Netherlands striker
began his career.
Van Nistelrooy, who moved from Real Madrid to Hamburg in the
January transfer window, will stay in Germany to receive treatment
for a thigh strain he suffered against Eintracht Frankfurt on
Saturday, after making a quick comeback from injury.
"It's better to take a break again now," Van Nistelrooy said.
"I would have loved to be there, but we don't want to take any
risks."
Attacking midfielder Ze Roberto, who has also been out
injured, is ready to help Hamburg's cause.
"Our big aim is not just to reach the next round," the
Brazilian told the club's Web site, "but to play in the final in
our own stadium."
Hamburg will be heading into the second leg with a 1-0
advantage.
Shakhtar Donetsk, which won the competition last year before
it was revamped as the Europa League this season, will be looking
to overturn a 2-1 deficit after losing to Fulham away in the first
leg.
Shakhtar defender Razvan Rat said he was impressed by Fulham
in the first leg, as the club was a "very level squad, where all
the players work in equal manner to gain a positive result."
But Rat said, "the main task for us is to go further in the
Europa League. We will do our utmost. We are spurred to win after
(the) London defeat."
Other matches include Roma vs. Panathinaikos, Valencia vs.
Club Brugge and Sporting vs. Everton.
