Spain recall Torres for Euro 2012 warm-ups

Madrid: Coach Vicente del Bosque recalled Fernando Torres along with fellow Chelsea teammate Juan Mata for Spain's warm-up matches ahead of the upcoming European Championship.

The struggling Torres had been dropped for Spain's most recent friendly, but the striker managed to make the squad after Chelsea won the Champions League on Saturday.

Torres said on Sunday that he had had the worst moments of his career with Chelsea this season and needed clarity about his future role with the London club.

The struggling Torres had been dropped for Spain\'s most recent friendly, but the striker managed to make the squad after Chelsea won the Champions League.

The defending European champions began training on Monday for the tournament in Poland and the Ukraine without players from Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao, who will play in the Copa del Rey final on Friday.

Spain will play a friendly against Serbia in Switzerland on Saturday, one day before Del Bosque releases his definitive squad list for the tournament.

The world champions will then face South Korea in their second friendly in Switzerland on May 30 before a final warm-up match against China on June 3 in Seville.

With players from Barcelona and Bilbao unavailable, Del Bosque's makeshift squad for the games against Serbia and South Korea includes various players that will most likely not make the final squad.

"I have come to work hard and train. Then we will see what happens," said Real Betis midfielder Benat Etxebarria, one of five newcomers to the team. "For my first season in the top-flight, it has been a well-rounded year."

Torres, whose goal against Germany in the Euro 2008 final gave Spain their first major title for 44 years, hasn't scored for his country since September 2010.

The former Atletico Madrid and Liverpool star will likely join Bilbao's Fernando Llorente up front, with Barcelona's David Villa a long shot to make the squad after not playing since December due to a broken leg.

Even so, Del Bosque has insisted that he will make his final decision on Villa, and the rest of the squad, on Sunday.

Spain open their title defence on June 10 against Italy, before also facing Ireland and Croatia in Group C in Gdansk, Poland.

Also See

• Unhappy Torres raises doubts over Chelsea future

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)