adminMADRID. — Experienced strikers Fernando Torres and David Villa were both included in Spain coach Vicente del Bosque’s final 23-man World Cup soccer squad on Saturday as he sought to cover Diego Costa’s injured hamstring.
Brazil-born Atletico Madrid striker Costa has battled an ongoing hamstring problem that limited him to just nine minutes in the Champions League final defeat to city rivals Real, a week after he was forced off 15 minutes into his side’s La Liga title decider with Barcelona.
And he did not feature in the reigning World Cup champions’ 2-0 win over Bolivia in Seville on Friday.
Del Bosque also left strikers Jesus Navas, Alvaro Negredo and Fernando Llorente, midfielder Ander Iturraspe, and defenders Alberto Moreno and Dani Carvajal out of his squad, the six having been named in his initial 30-man list.
Manchester City winger Navas has been sidelined with an ankle injury since mid-April and failed to find the favour Del Bosque granted Costa.
Spain face Chile, the Netherlands and Australia in World Cup Group B. Their first match pits them on June 13 against the Netherlands — their opponents in their 2010 World Cup final triumph. — AFP.
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