The Valencia striker and was not impressed by the way in which Luis Aragonés informed his great friend and former Real Madrid team-mate about his omission from the national team.

Raúl was dropped from the Spain set-up for the first time in ten years, for reasons other than injury, and Aragonés confessed that he did not telephone the player to tell him.

"One quick call before the squad is made public and a chat about the reasons would have been the best thing," Morientes said.

"Everyone has their own opinion. It is true that he could be better or worse and he could score more or less goals, but what there is no doubt about is that he is the top scorer in the history of the national team and has been captain for many years.

"Apart from whether he is called up or not, I think that the way the news was broken could have been handled better."

Despite scoring six goals in Valencia's opening seven games of the season, Morientes was not named by Aragonés in the squad to face Sweden and Argentina.

"If a while back I thought that the door to the national team was still open to me, now I think that it is closing little-by-little," the former Liverpool forward said.

"I think it is difficult to be make my way back in later on if I have not been chosen in the form I am currently in."

For more soccer news visit Goal.com