Page admits doubts over Bale fitness
Wales manager Rob Page admitted he doesn’t know whether Gareth Bale is fit enough to play three games in nine days at the World Cup, as he named his squad for Qatar last night.
Bale has made only two starts for los angeles FC and has not completed 90 minutes since he signed for them in June, so the tight fixture schedule in Doha will pose a challenge for the 33-year-old. asked if Bale (below) could play against the Usa, Iran and england, Page said: ‘That’s the million dollar question. We don’t know, we’ll assess each game as it comes. ‘We’re fully focused on the first game. Hopefully we get off to a positive start, which is not losing the game (against the Usa). We’ll have a plan moving forward for the second one. If he’s part of that, great. If he’s not, we’ll manage the minutes.’
Page said Bale’s dramatic late equaliser for la in their Mls Cup final victory on saturday demonstrated an athleticism which will make his lack of football an irrelevance when he captains the nation at their first World Cup in 64 years. ‘On big occasions he’ll always turn up, thrive, and enjoy it,’ said Page. ‘He’ll have an effect on the game straight away and when opposing managers see his name on the team sheet, they’ll know. It’s the power that people like Gareth have, because they always deliver.’
Page included swansea City’s Joe allen in his squad, despite the midfielder last playing in september because of a hamstring injury.
The prospects of allen being fit to face the Usa are extremely thin and there are doubts that he will take part at all. But Page compared the decision to take him with Chris Coleman selecting Joe ledley for Wales’ legendary euro 2016 tournament, just 24 days after he returned from a broken leg.
‘There was no way I wasn’t going to name him in the 26,’ said Page. ‘He’s massive for how I play and the success we’ve had. We’ll give him every opportunity.’ For Page, so much hinges on whether his squad’s stellar names can put injury and absence behind them. aaron Ramsey started only his second game since early september for Nice at the weekend.
‘You question yourself (as a player) but he has shown he can do it now,’ said Page, who announced his squad in the community hall at Tylorstown, the Rhondda village where he grew up. He will now be hoping Ramsey gets a good run at lyon tomorrow night.
WALES SQUAD — Goalkeepers: Hennessey (Nottm Forest), Ward (Leicester), A Davies (Stoke). Defenders: N Williams (Nottm Forest), B Davies (Tottenham), Cabango (Swansea),
Rodon (Rennes), Mepham (Bournemouth), Ampadu (Spezia), Gunter (AFC Wimbledon), Roberts (Burnley), Lockyer (Luton). Midfielders: Ramsey (Nice), Allen (Swansea), Wilson (Fulham), Morrell (Portsmouth), Levitt (Dundee Utd), Colwill (Cardiff),
J Williams (Swindon Town), Smith (MK Dons), Thomas (Huddersfield). Forwards: Bale (Los Angeles FC), James (Fulham), Moore (Bournemouth), Harris (Cardiff), Johnson (Nottim Forest).