Soldado aiming for EURO spot

Striker Roberto Soldado is determined to take full advantage of the absence of Fernando Torres when Spain take on Venezuela this week. The Chelsea forward was left out of the squad for Wednesday's friendly after scoring just four times in all competitions this season. With David Villa also sidelined through injury and Alvaro Negredo unlikely to be fit because of a thigh problem, Fernando Llorente, Iker Muniain, Soldado and Torres' club-mate Juan Mata will provide the attacking options. Soldado's last appearance for Spain came in 2007, and the Valencia frontman is desperate to impress national coach Vicente del Bosque in the battle for a place at UEFA EURO 2012. "I really wanted to get into the squad but I knew how hard it would be," he told the Spanish press. "I'm finally here and I hope to make the most of the opportunity. The best way for a striker to receive a call-up is to score. That will determine whether you are here or not. I have a significant goalscoring record and I look forward to adding to that in this team." While Soldado is keen to secure a spot in Poland and Ukraine with the defending European champions, he admits he would like to line up there alongside Torres. "Everyone must do their job," he said. "We know how important Fernando Torres is to the team. I hope he will be at the EUROs and I hope I will also be at the tournament. I'm going to give everything to get there. "Competition for places is fierce and there are still three months which will define whether I can be at the EUROs. If I get a chance I hope to take advantage of it. There are still three long months until the tournament." Meanwhile, Del Bosque today admitted the decision to leave Torres out had not been an easy one to make. "He is a lad we appreciate a great deal and it pains me to leave him out, but I wanted to be fair," he told The Independent. "His performances recently have been a bit irregular. "It is always a problem when a striker is not finding the net, it makes it difficult for them, we see that there is an issue. But there is a lot of time and plenty of chances for him to find his touch before the EUROs. Things are not going well, but situations can turn around quickly."