Roy Hodgson insists Fernando Torres can handle three games in a week but admits he would prefer to use his star striker sparingly.
The Spaniard has failed to complete a season at Liverpool without sustaining an injury and the Anfield manager is mindful of the fragility of the 26-year-old.
"I think Torres can probably play three games in seven days - he is as capable as anyone else - but if you can spare your players you want to do that," Hodgson told Press Association Sport.
"Torres is nothing special in that respect. The thing about him is that he went to the World Cup with an injury, played without being fully fit and we are anxious to make sure that in this season he will be fully fit.
"I am hoping, with the size and quality of our squad, I won't have to use him three times a week, week after week.
"If that happens then what will happen to Liverpool is what happened to me at Fulham - I'll lose players because you can’t ask them to take on that workload at the level we are talking about."
Hodgson paid tribute to Spain’s World Cup-winning coach Vicente del Bosque for omitting Torres from Tuesday’s match against Argentina.
"I think it was good for him to go with Spain and score two goals against Liechtenstein but it was nice of Del Bosque to spare him for the Argentina [friendly] game because it will be good for his future not just for Liverpool.
"I realize he was obliged to take Fernando with him because he had to take all his star players with him [to South America] but it was good he did not have to use him in the game."
Torres is likely to start against Birmingham City on Sunday and Hodgson is satisfied with the way his side are progressing during the early part of his reign.
"We've only had one defeat. We've had some good results, won our four European games and we were unlucky to drop two points in the last minute against Arsenal," said Hodgson.
"I'm afraid defeats are going to come along. I can't sit here and say we won't lose matches because we will. Most teams in this league will.
"All we can do is work and prepare hard and try not to lose them.
"When a defeat comes along you have to analyze the reasons why, work at your game to become better and then you put the defeat behind you and concentrate on your next game."
No comments:
Post a Comment