Glen Johnson and Fabio Aurelio have not travelled with the Liverpool squad for the Champions League match against Lyons tomorrow night after they failed fitness tests today.

Uefa has allowed Rafael Benitez, the Liverpool manager, to bring in Daniel Ayala from a reserve list of players, such is the severity of the injury crisis at Anfield. Steven Gerrard, the captain, is among the players unavailable to the Spanish manager while Fernando Torres, the star centre forward, is also struggling to be fit.

Both Johnson and Aurelio, the defenders, were judged unfit to play in the vital group E match at the Stade de Gerland, and stayed on Merseyside for further treatment on their calf injuries.

Liverpool are third in their group on three points after losing to Fiorentina in September and suffering a 2-1 defeat to Lyons at Anfield two weeks ago. The top two from the group will qualify for the knockout stages and with Liverpool three behind Fiorentina in second and six behind Lyons in first, tomorrow night's match will go a long way to determining their future in the competition.

Liverpool (from): Reina, Cavalieri, Carragher, Ayala, Darby, Insua, Agger, Kyrgiakos, Kuyt, Lucas, Benayoun, Aquilani, Babel, Mascherano, Spearing, Plessis, Ngog, Voronin, Torres.