Benitez in Torres plea

Rafael Benítez will urge Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque to be cautious with Fernando Torres's fitness if he calls him up for the friendly with France on March 3.

Torres, sidelined for five weeks after surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee, returned slightly earlier than anticipated as a 75th-minute substitute in the 0-0 draw at Manchester City.

The Spain international is believed to be keen to continue his recuperation by featuring in the second leg of Liverpool's Europa League last-32 tie with Unirea Urziceni on Thursday, though Benítez is thought to be unwilling to rush his comeback, preferring instead for him to face Blackburn in the Premier League on Sunday.

That game falls just two days before Del Bosque's squad are due to convene in Paris, with both the Spain manager and his technical director, Fernando Hierro, minded to select Torres for the fixture, despite his lack of match fitness.

While Benítez will not stop Torres joining his international team-mates, he will ask Del Bosque not to overburden his talismanic forward. The player has suffered three injuries in the last two years while on Spain duty, and Benítez is desperate to avoid a repeat. The Liverpool manager says he has "good communications" with Del Bosque, Hierro and the Spanish fitness coach, Javier Minano, all of whom he worked with at Real Madrid.

Torres was joined in action at Eastlands by Yossi Benayoun, after a month out with a broken rib, while Glen Johnson, who has not played since Dec 29, is due to return to training this week.

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