RAFAEL Benitez suffered a serious blow in his battle to salvage Liverpool’s shattered season yesterday as he lost the services of three star players.

Top scorer Fernando Torres, talismanic captain Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun, arguably the club’s best outfield player this term, all learned they face lay-offs after undergoing scans.

The trio were all injured in the humiliating FA Cup loss to Championship strugglers Reading which piled on the pressure for Benitez on Wednesday.

The Spain striker requires surgery on a torn knee cartilage that will rule him out for six weeks.

Gerrard is expected to be missing for a fortnight with a torn hamstring while Benayoun will be absent for up to four weeks with a fractured rib.

The loss of players he has been regularly been criticised for relying too heavily on is the last thing Benitez needed in the aftermath of another embarrassing result.

The 2-1 third-round replay reverse at Anfield was the latest upset in a season that has seen the so-called title challengers fall out of Premier League contention and exit the Champions League early.

Seventh in the Premier League, they are facing a tough battle to retain a topfour place, and their elimination from both cups leaves them with just the Europa League to otherwise occupy them.

With impressive summer signing Glen Johnson also out until the middle of next month, Benitez has a tough task to rouse his side for the games ahead.

Despite the gloom and growing calls for him to leave, Benitez remains defiant and believes he can turn the situation around.

The Spaniard said: ‘‘A lot of people are talking about me, but I have to look forward and keep working hard.

‘‘All I can do is to try to do my best every day, every match. That is all anyone can do.

‘‘Right from the beginning of the season there have been problems, (privately) we feared it could be like that.

‘‘But the only option is to carry on, to do your best to change things around.

‘‘In any race you have to try to move forward as quickly as possible.

‘‘I accept that the season has become bad, certainly not the best. There have been too many bad moments.

‘‘We can only carry on and be ready for the next game.

All we can say is that we must focus on the next challenge.’’