Madrid: Barcelona striker David Villa has played down his absence from the Spain national team at Euro 2012.
The 30-year-old striker ruled himself out of selection for the finals in Poland and Ukraine as he is still nursing a fractured tibia sustained at the Club World Cup in December.
His unavailability has been described by Spain coach Vicente del Bosque as a heavy blow, but Villa thinks that La Roja have other quality attacking options available.
"One is always happy that people regret their absence, but Spain will not miss me," he told reporters.
"There are great goal-poachers on the team and any player can score. I have a great affection for Fernando Torres and I think he is in great form after what he undeservedly went through."
Villa, who visited Spain`s training base on Thursday morning, then explained how he told Del Bosque that he would not be able to make the squad for Euro 2012.
"I worked until the end and they waited until the last moment to see how my recovery was going," he explained.
"But when there were a few days left for the announcement of the squad, I told him [Del Bosque] that I was not at a level good enough to compete, that I was not in the shape for the national team, and that I would not be at my best.
"I was true to myself, Barcelona and Spain."
Questioned about La Roja`s chances in Poland and Ukraine, Villa said: "We have won the right to be called favourites after four years filled with success.
"But when the tournament starts, every team will have the same chances."
Spain begin the defence of their European crown against Italy in Group C on June 10.
Goal.com
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.