FERNANDO TORRES has returned to the Spain squad defending the European Championship, and may yet end up as first-choice striker in Poland and Ukraine. Torres had been left out of the previous squad in February, but was named in Vicente del Bosque’s final 23 yesterday.

Despite hopes that he would make it, David Villa, the top scorer at both Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup, has not recovered in time from the broken leg he suffered during the World Club Championship in Japan before Christmas.

The Spain coach described Villa as “irreplaceable” but insisted that there are “solutions everywhere”. Right now, Torres could be the most attractive of them.

Spain will also be without Carles Puyol, who has had to pull out through injury – on 99 caps. His absence almost certainly means Sergio Ramos moving from full-back to centre-back.

There was no place for the Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea, with Iker Casillas, Victor Valdes and Pepe Reina chosen ahead of him. De Gea will play for Spain at the Olympic Games in London.

This is the third squad the Spain coach has named after he was forced into a convoluted process provoked by the drawn-out nature of the end of the Spanish season. It has also left a number of disappointed players to continue with the national team for the next few days, even though they now know that they will not be present in Poland and Ukraine.

First, Del Bosque named a full squad of players, but one that did not include anyone from Champions League finalists Chelsea or Copa del Rey finalists Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao teams that between them had over a dozen potential candidates.

Then, after the final in Munich, he added Juan Mata and Fernando Torres to the provisional list. And following Friday’s Copa del Rey final, he called up nine more players from among the finalists.

It is in the forward line that the starting line-up is most uncertain. Villa had hoped to play a few minutes in the final, which Barcelona won 3-0, but was ruled out a week ago.

The inclusion of Torres opens up the possibility of him starting Spain’s opening game against Italy on June 10th. He will be vying for a start with Athletic Bilbao’s Fernando Llorente and Sevilla’s Alvaro Negredo.

Del Bosque has also tried a formation with no strikers at all, using David Silva as the “false number nine”.

There was no place in the squad for the Valencia centre-forward Roberto Soldado, Athletic Bilbao’s Iker Muniain and Adrian Lopez from Atletico Madrid, all of whom had been called into the preliminary squad.

Their absences are among the only surprises in a squad that has largely been met with approval in Spain.

SPANISH SQUAD

Goalkeepers

Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Pepe Reina (Liverpool), Victor Valdes (Barcelona)

Defenders

Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Juanfran (Atletico Madrid), Jordi Alba (Valencia), Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Javi Martinez (Athletic Bilbao)

Midfielders

Xavi (Barcelona), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), David Silva (Manchester City), Santi Cazorla (Malaga), Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona), Juan Mata (Chelsea)

Forwards

Jesus Navas (Sevilla), Pedro (Barcelona), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Fernando Torres (Chelsea), Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla)