Raul has no problem about place on bench

SPAIN striker Raul insists he has no problem with coach Luis Aragones for failing to pick him in today’s Group H opener with Ukraine.

The 29-year-old, for so long a superstar at Real Madrid, will start on the bench against the World Cup debutants in Leipzig’s Zentralstadion.

Regular injuries and the rise of young pretenders Fernando Torres and David Villa have pushed the Galactico down the pecking order but the striker, who managed just five goals for his club last season, was not about to have a public moan.

He said: “I’m not in the team but it doesn’t affect me that much because it is the team that is the most important. The coach has picked his 11 players and that’s it.

“I wasn’t surprised. Tomorrow is a very difficult game and I accept the decision. The trainer did not have a special word with me about it. I speak to him every day but he did not say anything different to me than any of the other players.”

Ukraine could also be without their best-known forward as Andriy Shevchenko is struggling with a knee problem though the new Chelsea striker did say: “I am well. I am training normally and I have no problems when it comes to striking the ball. I really wouldn’t like to miss the clash against Spain.”

Defender Carles Puyol is the man who will try to keep him in check if he does pass a fitness test and the Barcelona man has tangled with Chelsea’s new signing in the past.

The most recent occasion was last season’s Champions League semi-final against AC Milan when a Shevchenko goal was disallowed for a foul the striker insists never happened.

Puyol said: “We both have our own interests but there is no problem between us. I’m not sure if he is 100% fit but even if he is not he is a very dangerous player and I will have to take care.”

The Barcelona defender admitted the rest of the Ukraine line-up remained a mystery to him. He said: “We have not really studied the Ukraine team. We will do that tomorrow.”

Shevchenko and Ukraine manager Oleg Blokhin have both complained tomorrow’s match has been scheduled too early at 2pm BST as the temperature is likely to be above 30 degrees.

But Pablo Ibanez, the Atletico Madrid defender, refused to take a negative outlook.

“There has been time to get used to the high temperatures – and we have to play anyway,” he said.

The move has angered Blokhin, the former European footballer of the year, who has a short fuse anyway.

“It will be hard enough for the spectators so imagine what it will be like for the players. I don’t know why we couldn’t play at six o’clock or nine o’clock.”

Shevchenko was also worried his nation’s chances of causing an upset would be hampered by the weather.

Chelsea’s new signing said: “It will be very difficult to play in this heat. It is just too hot.”

Team-mate Sergei Rebrov, the former Tottenham and West Ham striker, agreed. He said: “These weather conditions are very hard to play in, it is so difficult to play at 3 o’clock but what can we do? We are confident we can do well but there is just one problem and it is for both teams – we have to play in these conditions.”