Fernando Torres, the Liverpool striker, looks to have played his way out of Rafael Benitez’s rotation policy.

The Spaniard is fast becoming indispensable to Liverpool having scored eleven goals in 17 games this season. Benitez is set to pick Torres for tomorrow’s Premier League match at Reading, where the 23-year-old struck a stunning Carling Cup hat-trick in September.

Benitez has hinted he will play Torres, the club’s record signing, from the start. “It will be difficult at Reading because they are very strong, physically," he said. "It will be hard for everyone but especially the strikers. Torres is strong enough, and also he has ability and good movement so I believe he can handle the physical side of the game.

“Marseille may well be three days later and it could be a risk playing him at Reading, but he has such good movement that I believe it will be difficult to control him at Reading and he will be fine for the Champions League.”

Although Benitez has been encouraged by the way Torres has settled into the pace of the Premier League, the Liverpool manager says he’s happy with all his strikers. “Torres works for the team. But I am pleased with all the strikers in the way that the defend from the front. [Dirk] Kuyt, [Andriy] Voronin and [Peter] Crouch can also all do that job well for the team.

“They work hard for the team, they get forward and score goals too, so I am really pleased with the strikers and the way they are playing at the moment.”

Liverpool travel to Marseille on Tuesday for a make or break Champions League match and they test their title credentials next weekend when Manchester United visit Anfield.

“If we can keep the team at the top of the table and the gap does not grow, I believe the second half of this season will be good for us,” Benitez said. “The team has more confidence because they are playing well and scoring goals.”