The thigh’s the limit as Rambo sits out opener
AARON RAMSEY will miss Wales’ opening game of their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign against Slovakia in Cardiff today after failing to recover from a thigh injury.
Boss Ryan Giggs (below) was forced to add the name of the influential Arsenal midfielder to an injury list that has already robbed him of the services of Ethan Ampadu, Sam Vokes and Tom Lawrence for a crucial game in Group E.
Both Slovakia and group favourites Croatia got their campaigns off to a flying start on Thursday night with home wins over Hungary and Azerbaijan.
If Wales fail to follow suit, then they will already be playing catch-up with away trips to Croatia and Hungary to follow in June.
Giggs said: “Aaron has gone back to Arsenal, his injury just didn’t clear up in time.
“It’s obviously a blow, especially given the form he has been in and the quality that Aaron has. Sadly he’s not made it but that will give a chance now to someone else.
“He gave it a try on Friday but it wasn’t settling down as quickly as we thought – it was too short a turnaround.
“Of course you are going to miss someone like Aaron but we prepared for if he didn’t make it as well.
“We made sure that we had a Plan B, we were working on that during the week and we had two options.”
Swansea City’s flying winger Dan James or Leeds United’s equally sharp Tyler Roberts could now get the chance to fill Ramsey’s No.10 role.
Better news for Giggs is that Bournemouth’s David Brooks has recovered from the ankle injury that kept him out of Wednesday night’s 1-0 friendly win over Trinidad and Tobago.
“Brooksy is fully fit and the good thing about him is that for Bournemouth he’s played on the right, he’s played No.10 and he’s played deeper,” added Giggs.
“Like a good player, he can play anywhere really – he’s a talent.
“We’ve got a talented group of players and now they need to go out on the pitch and show it.”
GARETH BALE has been getting “unfair flak” at Real Madrid according to Wales team-mate Ben Davies.
And the Tottenham left-back says he would welcome his international buddy back to Spurs – who Bale left for Real in an
£85million deal in 2013 – with open arms. Bale, 29, has won the Champions League four times with the Spanish giants but this season has been turbulent as fans have got on his back and he has been criticised by team-mates.
The superstar is playing under his third boss this term after Zinedine Zidane returned following Real’s embarrassing
4-1 Champions League defeat to Ajax. Davies, 25, says he would welcome his fellow Red Dragon back in London this summer but admits single-minded Bale will determine his own fate.
The defender said: “He’s come in for a bit of flak at Madrid but for Wales he’s always been brilliant. It’s unfair, he is one of the best players in the world, we see it every day in training.
“I’d definitely have him at Tottenham. “I don’t know how likely that is – there’s no talking to that man.”
Bale – Wales’ record goalscorer with 31 goals in 74 caps – was rested for the 1-0 friendly win over Trinidad and Tobago in Wrexham on Wednesday night.
But he will return to spearhead Ryan Giggs’ attack against Slovakia in the home side’s opening Euro 2020 qualifier in Cardiff today.
Davies added: “He’s always the player that wants to be there and put his heart on the line for the team and I’m sure he’ll do it again and put a top performance in.”
Wales last met Slovakia in the opening game of Euro 2016 as Chris Coleman’s side won 2-1 in Bordeaux and went on to reach the semi-finals.
But it all might have been very different had Davies not cleared a fourth-minute shot by Marek Hamsik off the line at 0-0.
Davies, who has 43 caps, said: “It was a special moment.
“Things could have been a lot different at the Euros for us had that have gone in so it’s always nice to look back on.
“Hopefully I won’t have to do it again this time around.
“At the time it was pure instinct but at Spurs we’re told we need to defend as high as we can and get to the ball to affect the strike, not be on the line.
“It’s just how you read the game and how you pick things up and I got it right that time.”
Slovakia come into the game on a high after winning their opening qualifier 2-0 at home to Hungary on Thursday.
Davies knows Wales’ previous win will count for nothing and that they must prove themselves once again. He said: “That game in Bordeaux was probably one of the best games in recent memory.
“It was a tough day against a good side but that’s in the past and now we need to kick on and start the campaign well.
“We want to replicate that and it has to start here.
“You have to win your home games and we have to start at 100 miles per hour.
“We want to start the game on the front foot.”
Davies is excited by Wales’ clutch of attacking starlets such as David Brooks, Harry Wilson, Ben Woodburn and Dan James who have emerged since the last Euros.
The former Swansea star said: “In the past we only had Gareth with that pace but we’re lucky to be blessed with it now.
“It’s a good position to be in as a squad, the younger players will want to show what they can do when they get the opportunity and that’s the competition you want.”