Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque has dropped Fernando Torres for next week's friendly game against Venezuela. The striker has been off-form for some time now, and he could now miss out on this summer's European championship. Torres has been replaced by Valencia striker Soldado, with Athletic Bilbao's 19 year old prodigy Muniain also called up for the first time. With Iraola also recalled, Athletic have four players in the first team squad, and another four have been named in Luis Milla's pre-Olympic squad for a warm-up game against Egypt next Tuesday, including first time call-ups for De Marcos and Iturraspe. With Amorebieta in the Venezuela team as well, the Basque players have another busy week ahead of them. The pre-Olympic side is largely based on last season's under 21 squad, and first-teamers Javi Martínez, Muniain, Thiago and Mata are all expected to be selected when the final line-up for London is announced in the summer. (24.02.12)
Full squad:
Keepers: Víctor Valdés
(Barcelona), Reina (Liverpool), Casillas (Real Madrid);
Defenders:
Iraola and Javi Martínez (both Athletic Bilbao), Piqué
and Puyol (both Barcelona), Arbeloa and Sergio Ramos (both Real Madrid), Jordi
Alba (Valencia);
Midfielders: Busquets, Fàbregas,
Thiago and Xavi (all Barcelona), Cazorla (Málaga), David Silva
(Manchester City), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Jesús Navas (Sevilla);
Forwards: Llorente and Muniain (both Athletic Bilbao),
Mata (Chelsea), Negredo (Sevilla), Soldado (Valencia).
Spanish pre-Olympic squad:
Keepers: De Gea (Manchester United), Diego
Mariño (Villarreal);
Defenders: San José
(Athletic Bilbao), Domínguez (Atlético Madrid), Montoya
(Barcelona), Didac (Espanyol), Azpilicueta (Olympique Marseille), Botía
(Sporting Gijón), Víctor Ruíz (Valencia);
Midfielders: Ander Herrera, De Marcos and Iturraspe (all
Athletic Bilbao), Koke (Atlético Madrid), Isaac Cuenca (Barcelona),
Oriol Romeu (Chelsea), Diego Capel (Sporting Lisbon);
Forwards:
Adrián (Atlético Madrid), Tello (Barcelona), Rodrigo
(Benfica), Isco (Málaga).