Five more pull out of Wales squad

07 October 2013 17:46

Wales manager Chris Coleman has been hit by a fresh batch of withdrawals from his squad for World Cup qualifiers against Macedonia and Belgium.

Coleman had already lost Gareth Bale, Joe Ledley and Joe Allen due to injuries, while Brighton's Andrew Crofts is injured and also suspended for the Macedonia match.

But a further five players have now joined that list - Swansea defender Ben Davies, Wolves' Sam Ricketts, Celtic player Adam Matthews, Crystal Palace's Danny Gabbidon and Jack Collison, who is currently on loan at Bournemouth from West Ham.

Davies suffered a suspected hamstring injury late in Swansea's 2-0 defeat at Southampton on Sunday, while Matthews hurt his collarbone playing for Celtic and Gabbidon (hamstring) missed Palace's trip to Liverpool two days ago.

The Football Association of Wales confirmed on its official website a total of nine replacements - Lloyd Isgrove, Owain Tudur Jones, Danny Alfei, James Wilson, Rhoys Wiggins, Jermaine Easter, Sean MacDonald, David Cotterill and Ashley Richards.

Coleman will also need to keep monitoring the fitness of key defender Ashley Williams, the Swansea captain who has been troubled recently by an ankle ligament problem.

Wales play Macedonia in Cardiff on Friday night before heading to Brussels for an appointment with clear Group A leaders Belgium the following Tuesday.

Wales currently prop up the group, having collected just six points from eight games, and there is considerable speculation about Coleman's future as Wales boss.

The former Fulham manager had agreed terms on a two-year contract extension prior to last month's defeats to Macedonia and Serbia, but the deal remains unsigned, with the FAW wanting to evaluate performances over the final two World Cup qualifiers.

Wales squad for World Cup qualifiers against Macedonia and Belgium: W Hennessey (Wolves), B Myhill (West Brom), O Fon Williams (Tranmere), C Gunter (Reading), N Taylor (Swansea), A Williams (Swansea), D Alfei (Swansea), J Wilson (Bristol City), R Wiggins (Charlton), A Richards (Huddersfield), D John (Cardiff), A King (Leicester), A Ramsey (Arsenal), D Vaughan (Sunderland), L Isgrove (Southampton), O Tudur Jones (Hibernian), S MacDonald (Bournemouth), D Cotterill (Doncaster), C Bellamy (Cardiff), S Church (Charlton), H Robson-Kanu (Reading), S Vokes (Burnley), J Easter (Crystal Palace).

Source: PA