Torres: A Classic Club vs. Country Conundrum

The Daily Telegraph, a first-rate British daily, today has done a piece on the quandary Fernando Torres is in.

Does he keep fighting through the pain of a hernia to play for Premier League club Liverpool?

Or does he get surgery to repair the rupture, miss a couple of months of the EPL season ... but then be ready to play for Spain when South Africa 2010 begins in June?

Some other factors here:

Liverpool is struggling. So does that make Torres more inclined to limp back on to the pitch to help Liverpool?

Rafa Benitez, Liverpool's coach, is being showered with massive amounts of criticism over Liverpool's failure to contend for a championship, not to mention its fade down the standings. We would guess Benitez would like to see Torres rest all week and then give whatever he's got for Liverpool on the weekends.

And, of course, there is Spain, one of the 9-to-2 favorites (along with Brazil) to win the World Cup. But Spain is significantly less formidable without their dyed-blond striker up front.

Will he possibly be ready for the World Cup if he is still suiting up for Liverpool into May?

In Spain, they have to be thinking, "Let our boy get his surgery because Liverpool is getting nowhere fast."

While back in Liverpool, fans and management can say, "But you get most of your salary from the club, and you owe it to us to play until you drop."

This club vs. country thing will be played out again and again, in the run-up to SA2010, the next few months.

But Torres and Liverpool/Spain may be highest-profile case we will see.