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• Training would suit his fitness, says Roy Hodgson
• Player keen to be involved with Spain

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.”

Fernando TorresRoy HodgsonLiverpoolSpainAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

Fernando Torres scored for the first time since April to put a flattering gloss on Liverpool’s performance against West Bromwich Albion this afternoon. Roberto Di Matteo’s side, who had James Morrison sent off late on, were a comfortable match for Liverpool throughout but one touch of class from the Spain international gave Albion another painful lesson away from home.

Despite Torres, Steven Gerrard, Daniel Agger and Milan Jovanovic all returning after missing the Europa League play‑off win at Trabzonspor, Liverpool started as poorly as they had done in Turkey. Ponderous, disjointed and overly reliant on the long ball, Hodgson’s side invited the pressure that duly came from the composed, intelligent visitors, for whom Youssouf Mulumbu shielded the back four expertly while Morrison and Graham Dorrans took the game to the home side.

Albion, with Marc-Antoine Fortuné making his second debut for the club following his £2.5m return from Celtic, lacked both a cutting edge and the benefit of the doubt from the referee Lee Probert to make this a damaging afternoon for Liverpool. The match official dismissed Albion’s appeals for a penalty in the 28th minute, when Jonas Olsson was clearly wrestled to the floor by Martin Skrtel, and again when Christian Poulsen almost removed the substitute Somen Tchoyi’s shirt in the second half. Probert did even matters out, however, when he refused to award a spot-kick when Gonzalo Jara handled inside his own area.

The visitors’ grievance was compounded in the 65th minute when, after Jara had failed to convert Fortuné’s cut-back to the far post, Liverpool counter-attacked to devastating effect.

Dirk Kuyt led the break, exchanged passes with Torres, and surged onwards down the left before picking out the unmarked Spaniard on the edge of the area with a perfectly weighted chip. Torres connected cleanly on the volley and found the bottom corner of Scott Carson’s goal. With five minutes remaining the striker was felled by a late swipe from Morrison, and Probert had no hesitation in showing the Albion midfielder the red card.

Premier LeagueLiverpoolWest BromAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

• Roy Hodgson acts quickly to sign 27-year-old midfielder
• Portuguese seen as ideal replacement for Javier Mascherano

Liverpool have moved quickly to replace Javier Mascherano by agreeing a £10.7m package with Porto tonight for the Portugal international Raul Meireles.

Meireles, one of Portugal’s more impressive players in the World Cup, is understood to have agreed personal terms and, if everything goes according to plan, the deal will be completed over the weekend, dependent on the 27-year-old passing a medical examination.

The transfer was rushed through this evening after Mascherano finally got his wish to leave Anfield, joining Barcelona in a £20m deal that freed up the money for Liverpool to bring in a cheaper replacement.

Meireles is available for a low fee because he only has two years of his contract left and Porto have been trying to sell him rather than risk losing him on a free transfer in the future.

The player has been prominently linked with Manchester United over the past month but does not fit into the club’s policy under the Glazer family of not signing players for big money if they are aged 26 or above, Dimitar Berbatov being the exception to the rule.

Liverpool do not operate with such restrictions and the manager Roy Hodgson will hope Meireles can make his debut in the league game at Birmingham City tomorrow week.

LiverpoolPremier LeagueDaniel Taylorguardian.co.uk