Fernando Torres spoke exclusively to his website straight after an operation on his right knee carried out in Barcelona. Following his meeting with the specialist on Sunday night, it was decided that the striker's meniscus would need surgery. Fernando Torres travelled to the Spanish city by car due to the flight restrictions imposed across much of Europe because of volcanic ash from Iceland.


- Another set-back at the tail end of the season…

We have to remain positive as there is still the World Cup to look forward to. It’s been a hard year due to injuries, and it’s a massive shame that I haven’t been able to play more matches and to score more goals. We all try to make sure that everything turns out perfectly, but things haven’t turned out as we had hoped. Now all we have left to look forward is to try and be fit for South Africa.

- Did you try to avoid the operating table?

There were three possibilities. The first was that the meniscus was ok and that I should receive conservative treatment- something we did for a week. There was a chance that we would be in the dark for longer before making a decision, and a third possibility that the meniscus was damaged. On Friday evening the knee scan confirmed that my knee would probably require surgery. On Monday in Barcelona, we weren’t too sure, but it was a lot clearer by Friday. And I would like to point out that it’s actually the outside meniscus that’s affected and not the cartilage.

- The flight cancellations across Europe left you no option but to travel by car…

Yes. On Friday we knew that with the meniscus not quite right, we were facing a race against time. The flight we originally had booked was cancelled and we had to organise a trip out of nothing in just under 30 minutes. The journey was very long, but it was the only way of getting to Barcelona. We were lucky to get a ticket for the Eurotunnel- as they were very hard to get hold off. We slept just outside of Paris, where we managed to get some rest. I was exhausted by the time we reached Barcelona on Sunday at about 20:30 hours local time. Upon arriving at the hotel, I had barely enough time for a quick shower before meeting Doctor Cugat at the clinic. Just three hours later the operation was over.

- Some have said that you have put country before club…

That’s not true. We analysed all the possibilities before finally choosing the last of them all: surgery. The meniscus was damaged and the doctors all agreed that I needed an operation on my right knee. I picked up the injury in the second minute of the Europa League clash at home to Benfica, and I went onto to play for another 85 minutes with an injured knee. If I was only thinking about Spain and the World Cup, I would have asked the boss to have taken me off straight after the incident.

- Torres is going to miss out on yet another Atletico – Liverpool double header, a coincidence?

Yes, it’s a coincidence. There’s no underlying element here.

- How disappointed are you at missing the match at the Vicente Calderon Stadium?

I was very excited about returning and playing against 'Atleti'. I wanted to be there again and greet the people, because for me this is a very endearing qualification round. But I will have many more opportunities in the future.

- Who are the favourites to go through?

There are no favourites as the tie is perfectly balanced. The second leg at Anfield could benefit Liverpool, but then again, it might play against them, it all depends on the result from the first leg.

- Are you planning on travelling to the Vicente Calderón Stadium to watch the game?

I’m not going to be able to go to the game because of the treatment that’s required on my knee as part of my recovery process. Every day counts, but I appreciate Atletico’s gesture of bestowing upon me the club’s Gold and Diamond insignia.

- You still have the World Cup to look forward to...

I have been waiting four years for this and, if all goes well, I do not anticipate missing it. My recovery work has started today.