Euro 2008/Group D: Wales's preparations for tomorrow's Euro 2008 qualifier against Cyprus have received a much-needed boost after Craig Bellamy's court case was postponed yesterday. The stand-in captain's trial for an assault charge, which he denies, was due to begin this week at Cardiff magistrates and threatened to interfere with the team's training, but fresh evidence has emerged and a new date is expected to be set on Friday.
John Toshack, the Wales manager, has decided, however, against pairing Bellamy with John Hartson in attack against a Cyprus team who will be full of confidence following their 5-2 defeat of the Republic of Ireland on Saturday. Toshack spoke with Hartson after his team were humbled 5-1 by Slovakia at the weekend, but the 31-year-old West Bromwich Albion forward is short of match fitness following an ankle injury.
"We won't have anyone for Wednesday that we didn't have Saturday," said Toshack. "I saw John Hartson with West Brom, he felt he needed more training. I spoke to him Sunday and he said he is not 100 per cent. He has played six games for us since I came in and he hasn't scored but it would have given another option that we don't have."
Toshack has resisted calls to invite Bolton Wanderers' Gary Speed out of retirement and injuries also rule out the captain Ryan Giggs as well as the midfielder Carl Fletcher, who returned to Crystal Palace yesterday. It means he will largely retain faith with the youthful team which, on Saturday, suffered Wales's heaviest home loss for 98 years.
"People are getting a chance to prove if they can do it at this level," said Toshack, "we have to push on now. I didn't spend 18 or 20 months going to under-19 and under-21 games to push them through for nothing. This process was never going to be easy. How can I say how long it will take? But I do know that this is the only way to do it and move forward. We can't go back now."
Although his team were blunt in attack, the major immediate concern for Toshack lies with a defence which lacks experience following injuries to James Collins, Mark Delaney and Sam Ricketts. "One thing that worries me a bit with the young players is that they have not had much football," he said. "I thought they could get away with it, now I'm not so sure. I really do believe in them and that they have a bright international future."
Ironically, perhaps the biggest question-mark hangs over Paul Jones - Toshack's most experienced available player - who had a torrid afternoon on his 50th international appearance.
Saturday's result has clearly bruised the manager's pride. "It is painful," he said. "We have had a couple of tough days but I have been sacked five or six times. The minute it doesn't hurt my pride it is time to say goodbye."
