Online sports betting odds on Spain could take a hit with the news that top striker Fernando Torres might miss some time. The Liverpool star is set to have knee surgery and he is expected to be out for six weeks. That timetable is a definite concern for those taking Spain in offshore sports betting in the World Cup as the Spanish team is the overall favorite to win the 2010 World Cup that begins in June.
Online sports betting on Liverpool has been a disappointment this season in part because Torres has been hurt. The last few games for Liverpool without Torres don’t figure to go well either. The team couldn’t even score last weekend without him as they drew 0-0 with Fulham. Not only will Torres miss the rest of the season for Liverpool he will not play in their Europa League semi-final against Atletico Madrid.
He would also be out of the final in Hamburg if they defeat Atletico Madrid. “Fernando saw a specialist in Spain earlier today and it was decided that he would need surgery on a torn cartilage in his right knee,” a club spokesman said, “This will be carried out later tonight [Sunday]. We cannot comment ahead of the operation, but as a guide, the usual rehabilitation period for this type of procedure is around six weeks.”
Torres has started just 20 times this Premier League season because of injury. The timing of the surgery definitely is a concern for Spain. They play a friendly against Saudi Arabia on May 29 and Torres won’t be ready by then. Their second friendly is on June 3rd against South Korea and he might not be ready for that match either. Spain has to submit their final 23-man squad to FIFA by June 1. They may just have to hope for the best and include Torres on the roster. It seems unlikely that Spain will be able to win without one of their top strikers.
The Spanish club still has talent but to win the World Cup a lot has to go right and you need your best players. Spain is still the favorite, but just barely in World Cup offshore sports betting odds. They are just slightly favored at 4.5 to 1 with Brazil and England close behind as second and third choices in online sports betting.
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