Boss explains Torres subsitution

Torres had scored an excellent equaliser to make it 1-1 before half time but was subsituted after 63 minutes with the scores still level. Once Fulham regained the lead Liverpool had to rely on the crap Ryan Babel and Andriy Voronin to try and get them back in the game. It was no suprise that they failed miserably.

"We decided to play Fernando against United which was a difficult decision because he wasn't 100 per cent fit," Benitez told his post-match press conference.

"After this game he needed four days to be ready again but he still isn't 100 per cent fit, so we had to decide if he could start today or use him for part of the second half. We decided to start with him but I have to protect the player.

"We decided to take him off just after the hour because I want to protect him and don't want to lose an important player like Fernando for one month. We had options in attack when he came off."