Rafael Benitez is confident Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque will be
cautious with Fernando Torres if he is called into the squad to
face France.
Spain face France next week in Paris and Torres is expected
to be included in Del Bosque's squad after making a successful
return to action at the weekend following knee surgery.
Torres made a quicker than expected return to action as a
late substitute in Sunday's goalless draw with Manchester City
after five weeks out with a knee problem.
Benitez is expected to restrict Torres to a bench role for
Thursday's Europa League clash with Unirea Urziceni with the
striker possibly starting next weekend's Premier League clash with
Blackburn.
Torres has picked up three injuries in the last two years
while on international duty and despite rumours of strained
relations with the Spanish coaching team over their use of Torres,
Benitez insists he has no problems with any of the Spain set-up
having worked with a number of them during his time at Real Madrid.
"Fernando is our player, working with our physios, but we
have a good relationship with Fernando Hierro [Spain's
technical director], Del Bosque and Javier Minano [the fitness
coach]," said Benitez.
"When people try to create a mess between Spain and us,
remember that Del Bosque was the academy director at Real
when I was an academy coach and I was his assistant for the first
team. We have a really good relationship.
"His fitness coach was my fitness coach in the Under-18s and
the second team. He is my friend. Hierro was in the first team when
I was assistant at Real and we had a very good relationship.
"If I defend my players, it is because I have to, but we have
very good communication with Spain."
