Liverpool’s Spain striker Fernando Torres will miss the rest of the English league season after it was revealed on Sunday that he needs knee surgery.
The 26-year-old was due to have the operation later Sunday in Spain, leaving him in a race to get fit for the World Cup finals in South Africa.
“It was decided that he would need surgery on a torn cartilage in his right knee,” Liverpool said in a statement.
“This will be carried out later on Sunday and, as a guide, the usual rehabilitation period for this type of procedure is around six weeks.”
Torres, who helped Spain to European Championship glory in 2008, now has eight weeks to recover and get fully fit in time for Spain’s first World Cup match against Switzerland on June 16.