Villa injury could open door for Torres to make Euro 2012 cut
Published:David Villa hasn’t played a minute of competitive football since December, but Spain boss Vicente del Bosque has not ruled out the possibility of naming him in his Euro 2012 squad.
The Barcelona forward has been sidelined since breaking his tibia late last year, though a successful return to training has led del Bosque to consider the player.
Ex-Real Madrid boss del Bosque is willing to give such an iconic figure every chance to prove himself worthy of inclusion, but remains wary of upsetting other squad members.
“We have an obligation and a conviction to wait until the last minute,” he told the Spanish press.
Villa has notched more international goals than anyone in Spanish history, so would be a popular squad addition amongst fans, though his selection could alienate other players.
“He has been our most tried and trusted goalscorer, the most reliable of all. But bringing him could cost us because it might lead to grievances elsewhere.”
With this admittance that he could struggle to justify selecting a player with so little game time this season, the door for Fernando Torres to make the squad looks wide open.
Spain are expected to take four strikers on the plane to Poland and Ukraine, so the necessity to leave behind one of Torres, Fernando Llorente, Roberto Soldado or Alvaro Negredo would be banished should Villa fail to make the squad.
Torres could easily have missed out, after an indifferent campaign which saw him make little impact at Chelsea prior to Roberto Di Matteo’s appointment as interim manager.
Now rejuvenated, he hit a vital Champions League goal away to Villa’s club Barcelona, whilst a Premier League hat-trick also showed he could be ready to shine in this summer’s major tournament once again.
It was Torres who hit the winner in the final of Spain’s European championship success of 2008, and he will dream of a repeat scenario this summer.
