Since then Liverpool have suffered an injury crisis but managed to halt the progress of unbeaten leaders Arsenal, while reaching the Carling Cup quarter-finals after blooding new youngsters at Anfield.

But the Liverpool boss accepts that his squad must maintain these standards in two hugely important games in four days - a league visit to Blackburn and then the next Champions League game against Besiktas on Tuesday.

Any slip-ups in these two crunch games will plunge Liverpool back into the gloom that followed their defeat in Turkey by Tuesday's visitors to Anfield.

Benitez is boosted by a general improvement of Liverpool's injury problems, and believes that Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and Daniel Agger could all be back in action before the end of the month.

Benitez was speaking after a youthful Liverpool saw off determined Cardiff in the Carling Cup, a game that also witnessed the return from injury of Harry Kewell, Fabio Aurelio, Alvaro Arbeloa and Javier Mascherano.

Benitez said: "Since the defeat by Besiktas, I can only say that things have been very positive. There has been players coming back from injury, new young players coming into the side, things have started to improve.

"I have been pleased with the performances of younger players like Charles Itandje, Jack Hobbs, Lucas Leiva and Nabil El Zhar, all who have come into the squad.

"And coupled with that has been the improved form of Steven Gerrard. I notice people have questioned why we played him and Jamie Carragher against Cardiff. That is strange because usually I am told I should play my strongest team. Now when they do play people ask why.

"We needed a strong team against Cardiff, but although I wanted to rest Gerrard the fact that we had so many injuries and sickness meant that I had to use him.

"It would have been better for him to be on the bench, but in the end it was good to have him on the pitch because he is playing well, scoring goals and that is fantastic for him and for us.

"The team has improved, goals have been going in and the response has been fine. I believe we are still in a very good position in the league and I accept that the Champions League form must improve, and now we must maintain our improved form against Blackburn and Besiktas.

"But if Steve keeps playing like this and the injured players start coming back, things will only get better. It is also good to see Harry Kewell back after all this time, and I was relieved that Javier Mascherano was not as seriously injured as was first thought. He was training on Monday and back in the squad against Cardiff."

There has been better news during the week over the fitness of the three key players injured in the defiant draw against an outstanding Arsenal side on Sunday.

Benitez said: "As for Fernando Torres, we expect him back in two or three weeks, but we must wait to see how he progresses. We felt the previous time he was injured that he was OK after a few weeks, but then we had more problems with him.

"Daniel Agger and Xabi Alonso should also both be back in the same time-scale. But we are still looking at scans over Alonso, but it looks promising.

"Alonso is confident. But at the moment he cannot run, and I don't like seeing players just walking. We must be careful with him.

"He picked up another injury just when we were expecting him to be able to get back to his best. This time we must make sure that we have him back and fit for a long time.

"We want him for more than one or two games before having problems again."