Spain international Fernando Torres could feature in Liverpool's first Premier League game of the season against Arsenal at Anfield in just over four weeks' time.

It had been feared that the striker was set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after he suffered an injury in the closing stages of his country's World Cup final victory against the Netherlands on Sunday.

However, a statement on the Reds' official website read:"Liverpool can confirm that World Cup winning striker Fernando Torres faces up to three weeks on the sidelines after suffering an adductor injury in Sunday's final.

"The Reds forward underwent a scan in Spain on Tuesday in which a small tear was diagnosed."

Head of Sports Science and Medicine Peter Brukner added:"The initial assessment was he had a mild adductor tear and the Spanish medial staff didn't consider it to be too serious at the time.

"He had an MRI scan yesterday which confirmed a small tear. He should be able to resume training within two to three weeks and be able to play again within three to four weeks."

It was initially thought that the injury-plagued frontman had suffered a groin injury but the Spanish Football Federation revealed that scans conducted in Madrid on Tuesday had revealed 'a grade one muscle fibre rupture in the left thigh'.

Torres finished last season on the Anfield treatment table following a second operation to cure a long-running knee injury.

He still managed to score 22 times in 39 appearances for the Reds, but looked woefully off-form during the World Cup.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email