ALLEN WINNING HIS EURO FIGHT
JOE Allen looks like winning his race to be fit for Euro 2020.
The 31-year-old midfielder has been out of action since injuring his calf and hamstring while on international duty with Wales in March, having only recovered from a ruptured Achilles tendon in late December.
Allen’s latest setback had put his participation in this summer’s rearranged European Championships in doubt.
But the Narberth product has been undergoing extensive treatment at Stoke City in a bid to return to fitness and he has now been included in Wales boss Robert Page’s 28-man squad for a training camp in Portugal.
Fifteen players met up at Cardiff’s Vale Resort last week for a training camp and those members have now been joined by another 13 as preparations ramp up for this summer’s tournament.
Daniel James is unavailable due to Manchester United’s involvement in the Europa League final, while Swansea City’s Connor Roberts and Ben Cabango will also
miss out as they are gearing up for their Championship play-off final match against Brentford on Saturday.
Newport County’s Josh Sheehan and Tom King are also unavailable as the Exiles progressed to the League Two play-off final.
Allen and Tottenham’s Ben Davies have been included after recovering from their respective knocks, with Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey also in the party.
Hal Robson-Kanu was conspicuous by his absence.
The West Brom striker, along with Rabbi Matondo and Tyler Roberts, was sent home after breaking a curfew at the team hotel ahead of March’s World Cup qualifier against the Czech Republic. He was not included in the 28man party, unlike the other two.
Robson Kanu, who retired from international football in 2018 but then made himself available again, scored one of the most famous goals in the nation’s football history in the 3-1 victory over Belgium as Wales made it to the last four at Euro 2016.
He is also in form having scored twice in his last three Premier League appearances for the Baggies against Liverpool and Leeds.
There is also no place for Cardiff City’s Will Vaulks, who continues to be overlooked despite good form for the Bluebirds this season.
Wales will warm up for the tournament with friendlies against world champions France at the Stade Allianz Riviera in Nice on
June 2 and Albania at the Cardiff City Stadium three days later.
They open their Group A campaign against Switzerland in Baku on June 12 and face Turkey in the same city four days later before meeting Italy in Rome on June 20.
Training camp squad: Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Danny Ward (Leicester), Adam Davies (Stoke), James Lawrence (St Pauli), Ben Davies, Joe Rodon (both Tottenham), Chris Mepham (Bournemouth), Chris Gunter (Charlton), Rhys NorringtonDavies (Sheffield United), Neco Williams (Liverpool), Joe Allen (Stoke), Joe Morrell (Luton), Ethan Ampadu (Chelsea), Matthew Smith (Manchester City), Jonathan Williams, Kieffer Moore (both Cardiff), Aaron Ramsey ( Juventus), Harry Wilson (Liverpool), Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), David Brooks (Bournemouth), Tyler Roberts (Leeds), Tom Lawrence (Derby), Rabbi Matondo (Schalke), Dylan Levitt (Manchester United), Tom Lockyer (Luton), Rubin Colwill, Mark Harris (both Cardiff), George Thomas (QPR).