Fernando Torres's World Cup at Risk

Spain's star striker, Fernando Torres, is having knee surgery today.

He will miss the rest of the English Premier League season, which is a big deal at Liverpool.

But over here in World Cup-land ... what we want do know is this: Will Torres be back for Spain in South Africa 2010?

The answer, cautiously ... is yes. He will be back.

Liverpool's medicos seem to believe he will be back in three to six weeks.

The optimistic prognosis has him training again in the first half of May, in time to catch up with the national team as it prepares for SA2010.

Even the worst-case scenario would have him back in time to play in a World Cup warmup and be ready to go in the Big Event itself.

Spain is so deep, the loss of any one player is not significant. But Torres joins Cesc Fabregas on the injured list, and those are two high-caliber players the Spanish would rather have available.

Spain gets a bit of a break in that it is the last team to get into action. Its first Group H match is June 16, against Switzerland. The tournament opens on June 11, so that gives Torres five extra days to get ready.

Torres has had a rough year. Earlier problems with the same knee, a hernia situation ... it's rough out there.

And he certainly fits the description of "great player we definitely would miss" is he isn't ready to go.