Coleman gets Bale boost for Georgia
Strachan can call on ‘flying’ squad
GARETH BALE is ready to start Wales’ crunch World Cup qualifier with Georgia on Friday despite suffering an injury scare.
Bale sat out Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Espanyol in the Spanish capital on Sunday with a muscle problem.
But he reported for international duty as normal yesterday on the outskirts of Cardiff and will run out for Chris Coleman’s men in Tbilisi.
“Gareth could have played against Espanyol, but I preferred to leave him out as he had a small complaint,” said Real coach Zinedine Zidane.
“He’s fine. After so many games at the start of the season and four months of injury, he was suffering after the game in Dortmund.
“He strained his hamstring, but in the end it’s nothing. It’s not an injury. I’ve spoken to him and the doctors.”
Bale trained separately to Coleman’s main group yesterday morning and underwent a light session alongside captain Ashley Williams and midfielder Aaron Ramsey.
Wales have no worries over the three key men, with Williams and Ramsey merely recovering from their Premier League duties with Everton and Arsenal respectively. Coleman will hope Bale GORDON STRACHAN last night claimed he has a queue of stars demanding a chance to be part of Scotland’s World Cup charge in place of injured midfield duo Scott Brown and Stuart Armstrong.
And the Scotland manager said he is wrestling with the dilemma of who to pick given the attitude and form of the potential replacements.
Strachan has wasted no time in banishing any negativity following the withdrawal of the Celtic pair and Newcastle’s Matt Ritchie ahead of the must-win double header against Slovakia and can produce a moment of magic in Georgia to secure all three points.
Wales must beat Georgia and do no worse than draw against the Republic of Ireland in their final two matches to stand a chance of qualifying for next summer’s tournament in Russia.
Serbia lead Group D by four points, with Wales in second and Martin O’Neill’s Republic a point further behind in third.
“In the last camp Gareth came to us and he’s probably fitter now than he was then,” Coleman said. “He ran his socks off and was at the heart of everything.
“A month down the line both he and Aaron are playing even better for their clubs.
“It will be Rambo’s 50th cap against Georgia. It’s really well deserved for a player who, if we are to achieve something special, we have to have with us.”
Bale was last night named players’ player of the year at Wales’ annual awards evening.
Right-back Chris Gunter took home the player-of-the-year gong and Ben Woodburn, 17, claimed the young player trophy.
Liverpool starlet Woodburn made his senior Wales debut against Austria last month, scoring the winner after coming off the bench. Slovenia. And as he targeted the six points that are likely to earn Scotland a play-off place, he said that everywhere he turns he sees good options for Thursday’s clash with the Slovaks at Hampden Park.
Strachan said: “People talk about momentum. John McGinn has it. He’s flying.
Callum McGregor? Flying. Barry Bannan? Flying.
“His performances have been as good as anybody’s, he is probably the best midfielder in the Championship.”