Benitez warns Liverpool are in a battle to get back into the Champions League

Rafa Benitez admits that Liverpool have downgraded their expectations to such an extent that merely retaining their top four status is now the club's No 1 priority.In the wake of their Champions League exit, the Anfield boss says they can forget about winning the Europa League or FA Cup if it detracts from getting back into Europe's top competition.And Benitez also admitted that his side struggle to cope without star duo Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. Walk of shame: Steven Gerrard (left) and Lucas walk off in Hungary as victory over Debrecen is not enough to keep Liverpool in the Champions League 'I do believe that with Torres fit, we would have got through into the last 16,' said the Spaniard. 'It is the same with Steven Gerrard, he has been injured, but when you see him back on the pitch you know that with him (fit) also we would not now be in this position.'Changing focus: Rafa BenitezAt the start of the season, many would have expected Liverpool to be in the running for glory at home and abroad, but not any more.'The key now is to finish in the top four to make sure we are in the Champions League group stages for the next season,' said Benitez.'We must concentrate on the next game, and that is the Premier League. Afterwards, if we progress in the Europa League, OK, we can still win a trophy.'But we have to change our target. We have to think about the League and finishing in the top four. Only then can we also think about the Europa League and the FA Cup.'While Gerrard has been playing on despite a groin injury, a similar complaint has kept Torres out for the last three weeks and the Spain striker remains a doubt to line up in Sunday's Merseyside derby.'I don't know whether Torres can play against Everton,' said Benitez. 'He has been working and training all week, but when his injury was assessed we were told that he would need three weeks of treatment.'At the moment he has had just over two weeks, so we will have to see how he is nearer to the match.'Injury problems have taken their toll and Liverpool's grip on Big Four status has never looked so precarious. The Reds sit seventh, with Manchester City, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur all hoping to pip them to Champions League football next season. Miscue: But Fabio Aurelio (left) is determined to get things right with Liverpool'I can say to our fans that we will improve in the league. We cansee Gerrard playing again, we have (Yossi) Benayoun also coming backfrom injury.'We have (Alberto) Aquilani who is fit now. We can use him when before it was not easy because of his fitness and injury.'We have had problems with injuries to our centre-backs, but we now have four who are fit for the first time for a long while.'For me these are the positive things that we can look forward to for the rest of the season.'If I could change anything, it would be to have our big players fit. For a change it would be good to have a problem of who to select, before this has not been the case.'Liverpool's 1-0 win against Debrecen in Hungary on Tuesday night was rendered meaningless. Fiorentina's victory over Lyon ensured both sides would go through to the last 16.Accumulating just four points from four previous games had taken qualification out of their hands and Brazilian defender Fabio Aurelio says it is the players rather than Benitez who should shoulder the blame.Choker: Cesar Delgado's late goal at Anfield gave Liverpool an uphill task to qualify for the knock-out stage of the Champions LeagueLiverpool have moved quickly to insist they are not planning regimechange and Aurelio said: 'The players still have confidence and we knowthat it is only us who can change our situation by working hard toimprove.'We know we can do better, certainly than we are doing at the moment.'The team are now intent on winning at Everton on Sunday and starting to get more points right to the end of the season. Then we will see what position we are in, and what we are able to fight for.'But the 30-year-old disagrees with his manager when it comes to merely settling for a place in the top four.'It is a big disappointment to be out of the Champions League, but we have to win a trophy,' he said. 'A big team like Liverpool must accept that.'The Europa League is an opportunity to win a trophy and that's how we will go into this competition thinking. At Liverpool, every competition is important.'It is difficult to know where this campaign has gone wrong, but against Lyon we lost goals in the last minutes of both games and that has made the difference.'Liverpool used to be more solid in defence, and we have only scored four goals in five games in the group matches, so we have to improve in all areas.'We have been missing a lot of players through injury problems, so we have to think that things can only improve in that situation.' Rafa Benitez won't be sacked - Liverpool crash out of Champions League and languish at home but Reds chief Christian Purslow says he's delighted with his heroesReina: Liverpool fans will keep faith as we start our Europa League adventureLiverpool legend Smith slams owners for cutting Benitez adrift in EuropeLiverpool are five-time kings of Europe, but they now play for the booby prizeDebrecen 0 Liverpool 1: Ngog strike not enough as Rafa joins the also-ransLIVERPOOL FC

Source: Daily_Mail