Torres raring to take on England

09 February 2009 16:45
Spain striker Fernando Torres has revealed his frustration at any injury-hit season but declared himself ready to face England on Wednesday.The Liverpool forward has seen his performances curtailed by hamstring injuries since scoring the winning goal for his country in the Euro 2008 final against Germany last summer.But, after coming off the bench for the last 14 minutes of Liverpool's Premier League match at Portsmouth on Saturday to score a last-gasp winner, Torres has declared himself fit for the Seville friendly against Fabio Capello's side."I'm ready and available to play when (Spain coach) Vicente Del Bosque sees fit," he said."When the time comes for the team being named, everyone wants to play."It is clear that from the beginning of the season until January, I have not had the continuity that I would have liked because of injuries, which are what worries me most at the moment."The former Atletico Madrid forward labelled Capello's squad one "riddled with stars" and expects them to be highly motivated on Wednesday due to the fact Spain hold the title of European champions - a tournament for which England failed to qualify."It's special, for the opponents, and fundamental - more so after winning the European Championships, which means this team has the obligation to win every game," Torres added."They come in unbeaten (in World Cup qualifiers) as we do, and he (Capello) has to take a lot of credit for this."Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has been ruled out of the midweek friendly after picking up a thigh injury in Sunday night's Primera Liga clash with Sporting Gijon.The 30-year-old had only just returned to action after a muscle problem in the same leg but lasted just 68 minutes of the 3-1 win over Sporting before he limped off to be replaced by Sylvinho.A statement on Barca's website confirmed the central defender had been taken off as a precaution but will rest for 10 days to avoid a repeat of the muscular injury that had sidelined him for two games.The statement read: "The club's medical team and the Spanish Federation have been in contact and have decided that the player will be in Barcelona during the week to recover fully."So Puyol will not participate in the international match between Spain and England."[LNB]

Source: Eurosport