Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque on Friday named Liverpool striker
Fernando Torres to the squad to play France in a friendly next
week, signaling the end of the Liverpool player's spell on the
sidelines because of injury.
Torres, 25, returned to the Liverpool team after five weeks
out with a knee injury when he came on as a substitute on Sunday.
Del Bosque did not pick him for Spain's last two matches,
friendlies against Argentina and Austria in November, because of a
hernia problem.
"Torres has gone through an (knee) operation and a recovery
period," del Bosque said. "The impression is that he's OK.
"He played the other day and it's likely that this weekend he
will play too, and he feels in condition to come, so that is why we
are bringing him," he said.
The Spanish coach added that they would limit "the minutes he
might play so as not to upset his recovery."
Torres has been a regular for Spain since 2003, scoring 23
goals in 71 appearances including the only goal in the European
Championship final in 2008.
Villarreal midfielder Marcos Senna has also been recalled for
the game. Senna has missed several matches for Spain because of
poor form.
Del Bosque added that the squad named for the France friendly
is not necessarily the same one that will go to the World Cup in
South Africa.
"This is not an absolutely closed final list for the World
Cup, but one for this match against France," he said.
"Obviously it will be a squad similar to this, but I have to
say there are players that have been left out that might be with
us," he said.
The friendly will be played on March 3 at the Stade de France
in Paris.
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Squad:
Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina
(Liverpool), Diego Lopez (Villarreal).
Defenders: Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Raul Albiol (Real
Madrid), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Carlos Marchena (Valencia),
Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos
(Real Madrid).
Midfielders: Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets
(Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona),
Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Marcos Senna (Villarreal).
Strikers: Dani Guiza (Fenerbache), Juanma Mata (Valencia),
David Silva (Valencia), Fernando Torres (Liverpool), David Villa
(Valencia), Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla), Jesus Navas (Sevilla).
