Fernando Torres may not be fit in time for Spain’s opening World Cup clash with Switzerland, according to Liverpool’s new medical chief.

Torres is recovering from a second operation in three months to repair damage in his right knee, and although his rehabilitation is going well, Liverpool’s head of sports medicine, Peter Brukner, has warned Spain that their star striker could miss the Group H opener in Durban on June 16.

“You can’t be absolutely certain of anything, but at this stage, if he continues to progress the way he is, he should be fit to play at some stage during the World Cup,” said Brukner. “Whether he’ll be fit for the first game (on June 16) or not is uncertain.”