(CNN) -- Spain striker Fernando Torres has rejected accusations he put the World Cup before his club Liverpool after he was ruled out of action for six weeks.





Torres traveled from England to Barcelona by car to see a specialist, due to the ongoing disruption to flights caused by the ash emanating from a volcano in Iceland, for an operation on his knee.





The 26-year-old will miss the rest of the English Premier League season, as well as Liverpool's Europa League semifinal against his former club Atletico Madrid, after picking up the injury in a game against Portuguese side Benfica.





He now faces a race to be fit for Spain's opening game of the World Cup in South Africa against Switzerland on June 16.





He told his official Web site: "I picked up the injury in the second minute of the Europa League clash at home to Benfica, and I went onto to play for another 85 minutes with an injured knee.





"If I was only thinking about Spain and the World Cup, I would have asked the boss [Rafael Benitez] to have taken me off straight after the incident.





"We analyzed all the possibilities before finally choosing the last of them all: surgery. The meniscus was damaged and the doctors all agreed that I needed an operation on my right knee."





On the World Cup Torres said: "I have been waiting four years for this and, if all goes well, I do not anticipate missing it. My road to recovery has already started."





Torres expressed his disappointment at missing the European clash with his former club, Atletico Madrid, who he left to join Liverpool in 2007.





He added: "I was very excited about returning and playing against "Atleti". I wanted to be there again and greet the people, because for me this is a very endearing qualification round. I will have many more opportunities in the future."





Torres had to travel to Barcelona by car after his original flight was cancelled due to the fallout from the ash cloud that has grounded all European flights.





He said: "On Friday we knew that with the meniscus not quite right, we were facing a race against time.





"The flight we originally had booked was cancelled and we had to organize a trip out of nothing in just under 30 minutes. The journey was very long, but it was the only way of getting to Barcelona."
( CNN ) -- Spain striker Fernando Torres has rejected accusations he put the World Cup before his club Liverpool after he was ruled out of action for six weeks . Torres traveled from England to Barcelona by car to see a specialist , due to the ongoing disruption to flights caused by the ash emanating from a volcano in Iceland , for an operation on his knee . The 26-year - old will miss the rest of the English Premier League season , as well as Liverpool 's Europa League semifinal against his former club Atletico Madrid , after picking up the injury in a game against Portuguese side Benfica . He now faces a race to be fit for Spain 's opening game of the World Cup in South Africa against Switzerland on June 16 . He told his official Web site : " I picked up the injury in the second minute of the Europa League clash at home to Benfica , and I went onto to play for another 85 minutes with an injured knee . " If I was only thinking about Spain and the World Cup , I would have asked the boss [ Rafael Benitez ] to have taken me off straight after the incident . " We analyzed all the possibilities before finally choosing the last of them all : surgery . The meniscus was damaged and the doctors all agreed that I needed an operation on my right knee . " On the World Cup Torres said : " I have been waiting four years for this and , if all goes well , I do not anticipate missing it . My road to recovery has already started . " Torres expressed his disappointment at missing the European clash with his former club , Atletico Madrid , who he left to join Liverpool in 2007 . He added : " I was very excited about returning and playing against " Atleti " . I wanted to be there again and greet the people , because for me this is a very endearing qualification round . I will have many more opportunities in the future . " Torres had to travel to Barcelona by car after his original flight was cancelled due to the fallout from the ash cloud that has grounded all European flights . He said : " On Friday we knew that with the meniscus not quite right , we were facing a race against time . " The flight we originally had booked was cancelled and we had to organize a trip out of nothing in just under 30 minutes . The journey was very long , but it was the only way of getting to Barcelona . "
Who had an operation on his knee?
Who had an operation on his knee ?
Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres