Fernando Torres underwent tests on Thursday at a Liverpool hospital on the serious groin injury which is threatening to ruin his season.

The Spanish striker played 87 minutes of Liverpool's 1-1 Champions League draw with Lyon on Wednesday, a result which virtually ends their hopes of progress from Group E into the last 16.

Torres played with pain throughout the match, before flying back with the Liverpool party on Thursday morning.

Later he attended a Liverpool hospital where more tests were carried out on his injury.

Manager Rafael Benitez fears that Torres will eventually need an operation on what he describes as a "poor man's hernia".

However, Liverpool are loathe to go down that route until every other avenue has been explored.

If Torres has an operation he could be out until after Christmas, and any further problems could even affect his participation in the World Cup finals for Spain.

A Liverpool spokesman said: "Fernando attended a Liverpool hospital today for further tests.

"It is nothing more dramatic than that, it is just further tests as part of his rehabilitation programme."

Benitez said after the draw in Lyon: "Fernando played with pain, and after the game he still had the same problems that have troubled him for a few weeks.

"He wants to wait, rather than have an operation. He wants to work with the physios to try to solve his problems, but still he has pain.

"He told me he needed to keep stopping because of the pain. Whether there is the need for him or Steven Gerrard to have an operation is a decision we will not take straight away.

"We must see how he can improve, and by how much. Then we will decide about any possible operation."

Liverpool will assess the results of the tests before considering any further action.

The Reds have a home league game with Birmingham on Monday and it is unlikely that they will make any decision on an operation before then.

Skipper Steven Gerrard is also facing an operation on his groin problem, but the spokesman said: "Steven continues to progress after more treatment."

Benitez faces the choice of having his two best players under the knife at roughly the same time if they fail to respond enough to treatment.

Liverpool's injury problems meant they were without seven senior men in France, where they almost pulled off a dramatic victory against Lyon.

But after Ryan Babel had grabbed the lead with seven minutes left, Lyon striker Lisandro struck with an equaliser in injury-time that put his own side into the last 16, while leaving Liverpool's hopes of following them hanging by a thread.

They need to win their final two matches away to Debrecen and at home to Fiorentina and hope already-qualified Lyon can do them a favour against the Florence side if they are to have any chance of qualifying.

Four of Liverpool's walking wounded had a light training session today - Glen Johnson, Fabio Aurelio, Martin Skrtel and Nabil El Zhar. Only Skrtel is believed to have a realistic chance of facing Birmingham at Anfield.