The Scottish Mail on Sunday

No Bale, but Coleman demands Wales emulate their Euro glory

- From Laurie Whitwell IN BELGRADE

IT IS a year to the day since Wales beat Slovakia at Euro 2016, beginning an exhilarati­ng journey that ended with expectatio­ns raised.

Emulating that feat in a World Cup qualifier is the challenge manager Chris Coleman has given his players.

Serbia are the opponents this time and reaching Russia 2018 depends on a result in Belgrade.

Wales are without the banned Gareth Bale and Neil Taylor, while Hal Robson-Kanu and James Collins are injured. But Coleman points to what happened last summer as a reason to be positive. He said: ‘I don’t think we’re that far away. Not that I’m flippant about it.

‘I’m just not panicking because I think we’ve got enough to touch those right buttons.

‘We all saw it last summer. It’s so hard to get to a tournament and it’s such a fantastic place to be. But you have to go above and beyond to earn it.’ WALES (probable) 3-4-2-1: Hennessey; Gunter, Chester, Williams; Richards, Allen, Ledley, Davies; Lawrence, Ramsey; Vokes.

 ??  ?? UNPOPULAR: Roy Keane
UNPOPULAR: Roy Keane
 ??  ?? POSITIVE: Chris Coleman
POSITIVE: Chris Coleman

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