Injury woes a headache for Toshack as World Cup looms

Mar 26 2008 by Simon Kendal-Williams, South Wales Echo

WHILE John Toshack remains fully focused on tonight’s friendly in Luxembourg, his thoughts are increasingly turning towards Wales’ 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.

More specifically, the Wales coach is becoming more and more concerned with the fitness – or lack of it – of four players who he had begun to build a side around.

Craig Bellamy, Gareth Bale, Danny Gabbidon and James Collins remain absent from a Welsh squad already lacking in experience and proven top-flight players.

And with Wales’ Group Four opener against Azerbaijan less than six months away, Toshack admits he may have to plan without his highly-regarded quartet.

“Any international team would miss four players like that,” said Toshack, “but for us, it really is a disappointment. The clock is ticking now for the World Cup qualifiers.

“I’d like to know as soon as possible when these players are going to be ready and whether or not they’re available for the friendlies in Holland and Iceland in May and Georgia in August.

“Rather than think they’re going to be available and then they’re not, we’ve got to start looking at alternatives.”

Collins’ case is straightforward enough. Having sustained knee ligament damage last year, the centre-back is unlikely to be fit in time for September’s fixtures. But Toshack is troubled by the amount of time it is taking his other three first choices to recover.

Wales captain Bellamy last featured in last October’s 2-1 win in San Marino, but has since undergone groin and stomach surgery, while team-mate Gabbidon remains sidelined with a knee injury.

And Bale was immediately ruled out for the season when he suffered a recurrence of a foot problem in January.

Such is Toshack’s concern, he plans to visit the players’ clubs – West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur – in person before May’s friendly double-header against Iceland and the Netherlands.

“We’re very concerned with the whole situation,” he said.

“We understand that Bellamy could be back before the end of the season, but Gabbidon is not involved with the group at all.

“Collins we know is pushing it to be ready for September, so our centre-back position really has become an area of concern.

“We know that James’ injury is going to take time, but with Craig it’s been a long, long time now.

“Between the three of them they’ve had five groin operations.

“We’re guided by what West Ham’s doctors say, but we’re not getting many positive vibes from them at the moment. But for my own peace of mind, I plan to go up there and speak to the people concerned at their clubs, and the players themselves.

“Apart from Collins, if they’re not ready by August, then there’s got to be something wrong.”

He added: “I don’t think (West Ham manager) Alan Curbishley will be in the market for too many Welshmen in the future, will he?”

Toshack admits that tonight’s match in the Josy Barthel Stadium is not what he had in mind when the fixture was first planned.

After 30 games in charge, the Wales coach is used to dealing with withdrawals. But the sheer number of them – 14 – has left him concerned.

Throw in the fact that most of his squad were involved in Bank Holiday fixtures with their respective League One and League Two clubs, and that Toshack has given the Under-21s first call on eligible players, and you can understand why his team selection is giving him food for thought. “This is a game that we’re probably the least prepared for of all of them,” he said.

“We’ve got lads who played on Monday and we’re up to 14 withdrawals. I don’t like to use the word ‘makeshift’, but it will be a bit of a strange one, especially with eyes on the under-21s in Bosnia.

“You can only say the usual – other people can come in and we’ll have a look at them and see what positive things we can gain from it.”

Toshack has handed 26 debuts to players since returning to the helm in February, 2005, and that number is set to increase by at least two at the tonight.

Hull City keeper Boaz Myhill is set for his first cap at the age of 25, while Stockport County’s highly-rated Ashley Williams could partner Lewin Nyatanga and Craig Morgan in the centre of defence.

Ched Evans, Sam Vokes and Aaron Ramsey could well have figured here, were it not for the Under-21s’ crucial Euro 2009 qualifier in Sarajevo, but their absence has at least given the likes of Doncaster Rovers duo Brian Stock and Stephen Roberts and Portsmouth’s Richard Duffy a chance to stake a claim.

“If the Under-21s weren’t in the situation they’re in, we would probably have brought two or three of them in for this one,” said Toshack.

“But the most important thing is that we don’t go out and treat the game lightly because of the circumstances. We don’t want to say afterwards, ‘Oh well, we were without all these players.’”

By rights, nothing less than a Welsh win can be expected here tonight, whichever team Toshack puts out. But Luxembourg will be no pushovers, as Belarus found out to their cost four months ago, when Alphonse Leweck gave the hosts a 1-0 win, their first competitive victory in 12 years.

“Luxembourg had a very positive result in their last game,” said Toshack.

“They’re accustomed to going into games as underdogs and to go a goal behind doesn’t concern them.

“Irrespective of results, their heads never go down, and we’re expecting a difficult game.

“But our attitude has been pretty good in friendlies, and so has our record.

“You can expect a few errors through lack of understanding, but we need to put in a shift.”