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Torres set for bench role as Rafa eye’s European glory

Published by Redneck on February 25, 2008

Rafa Benitez has hinted that strike-sensation Fernando Torres is set to miss out on the forthcoming Premiership clashes as he keep’s an eye on European glory.

“Will he play every week?” said Rafa. “Well, with one game a week it would be easier for me, but I have explained 100 times that I need everybody fit.”

“If you are playing three or four games every ten days, and we have West Ham, Newcastle and Inter Milan all coming soon, you need to see how players are and make sure that they are fit.

“It is not easy for foreign players in their first season, but Fernando is a player with power and pace and I felt that, in England, those qualities are suited to the league.

“We had two or three targets when we were looking for a striker last summer, some good options, but we decided on Torres because he is young, hungry and his ambition was to play in the Premier League. We also knew that he could be good for us.

“It is really difficult for players to score 20 goals in any season, never mind their first season in the Premiership, but Fernando has done that. His work-rate is good as well, so everything is positive for us.

“There has never been a target for him, other than for him to score goals. I want my strikers to score goals, but they also have to make space for the other strikers and play well.”

“After we scored the third goal on the counter-attack, we could have scored more, but the key was to win and we did that,” he added.

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