Spain to ignore Liverpool manager's plea to spare Fernando Torres

• Training would suit his fitness, says Roy Hodgson

• Player keen to be involved with Spain

The Liverpool manager wanted Fernando Torres to be omitted from Spain's Euro 2012 opener against Liechtenstein. Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images

Liverpool's appeal for Fernando Torres to be spared international duty is likely to be ignored with the striker keen to play for Spain and expected to start next week's friendly against Argentina.

Roy Hodgson yesterday called on the Spain manager, Vicente Del Bosque, to omit Torres from the Euro 2012 qualifier in Liechtenstein on Friday and the friendly in Buenos Aires next Tuesday. The Liverpool striker joined his international team-mates on Sunday evening, having been named in the squad last week. After losing his regular starting place in the Spain team in South Africa, where he was hindered by a knee problem, it is believed Torres does not want to jeopardise his involvement under Del Bosque further by making himself unavailable for selection.

Hodgson believes a two-week training programme on Merseyside would suit Torres's long-term fitness rather than preparing for matches with Spain. But he admits Liverpool are powerless to prevent their record signing featuring in the double-header. "We can't say he's unfit to play because he's just played 85 minutes against West Bromwich Albion," said Hodgson. "We can only ask the question, propose that this is the best option for the player but we don't have the right to pull him out.

"The more work our sports science people can do with him, to build him up, give him basically the good pre-season that all players need, the better it will be for his long-term future. If we're unable to do that because he's asked to play so many matches in this early part of the season it's going to effect us negatively."