Striker Fernando Torres may not start in Spain's semifinal clash with Germany, said coach Vicente del Bosque on Sunday.

The Liverpool striker has rarely looked like scoring despite starting four straight games, including Saturday's 1-0 quarterfinal win over Paraguay.

"Torres is a reference point for us," Del Bosque said. "We still have faith in him. But this doesn't mean he will always be our striker."

The comments appeared to suggest that the out-of-form striker may not start in Wednesday's showdown in Durban.

The 26-year-old Torres arrived at the World Cup still recovering from knee surgery in April. He hasn't scored in a competitive international since the Confederations Cup a year ago.