Saturday, October 18, 2008

Benítez Calls For Torres Injuries With Spain To Be Analysed


Rafael Benítez is to ask his former Real Madrid mentor, Vicente Del Bosque, to reassess Fernando Torres' training methods with Spain following the Liverpool striker's latest hamstring injury while on international duty.

Torres will miss today's visit of Wigan Athletic to Anfield, Wednesday's emotive Champions League return to his former club, Atlético Madrid, and probably next Sunday's trip to Chelsea after lasting only 16 minutes of Spain's midweek World Cup qualifying win over Belgium. Liverpool's record signing has suffered three hamstring strains with Spain since he moved to Anfield and only one during that time for his club.

While Benítez has absolved Del Bosque, the Spanish national coach, of any blame for Torres' international injury record, he believes his compatriots must pinpoint the source of the discrepancy. The Liverpool manager said: "There is a new manager with a new fitness coach [with Spain]. They were asking Torres before the game how he felt and he told them, 'Better than ever', so I cannot blame them."

Benítez admitted the loss of Torres, Martin Skrtel, who suffered a cruciate injury against Manchester City, plus the international break, has left him "worried" about today's encounter but he refused to discuss reports linking him with a January move for the Wigan striker and Anfield old boy Emile Heskey.

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