WALES manager John Toshack admits he is relying on youthful enthusiasm in today's World Cup qualifier against Berti Vogts' Azerbaijan after a string of "cruel" blows to his plans.
Having already instigated a five-year rebuilding programme based on youth, Toshack has been forced to delve even deeper into the under-21 ranks for the testing clash in Baku, on the shores of the Caspian Sea. He lost three Premier League players to i
njury on Monday, and in total is without ten regular squad members. Now Toshack will send out Wales' youngest ever side, captained by 22-year-old Joe Ledley for the first time in a competitive international, and hopes that his young brigade grow up quickly.
Reading's 20-year-old striker Simon Church will almost certainly make his full international debut after winning his first cap as a second-half substitute in last Friday's friendly against Estonia. The loss of Jack Collison, Gareth Bale and Ched Evans this week means Toshack is likely to bring in another 20-year-old, Oldham's Neil Eardley, to win his 10th cap at right-back.
"Stronger Wales squads than this have had problems in Baku," said Toshack. "This is a very tough test for these youngsters. But losing Premier League players like Collison, Evans and Bale has hit us hard. It is cruel on the lads and typical of the cruel luck we have had to contend with for years. It was always going to be tough here, but it is even harder now. But these youngsters know that in the future if they want to have long careers and achieve things, then they are going to have to handle games like this. If they want to win things, they have to cope with difficult places like this."
Toshack is set to switch Spurs teenager Chris Gunter to left-back and recall Wolves midfielder David Edwards, 23, for his 14th cap.
Toshack said: "We have had to ask a lot of lads to grow up quickly, and some of those are not even here for a game that would have been an important part of their development. Now we have had to call in some even younger players. To be without more than 10 first-choice players is very hard to contend with. But you feel for them, not only for Wales but for their club careers too. Some of the bad injuries young players have picked up have been really cruel on them. We have had to draft other youngsters in and we hope they will be able to cope with what we expect to be a very tough game."
He added: "Azerbaijan see us as targets. They will look at our squad and fancy their chances. We have failed in our target to take third place in the group from Finland, and now we must not allow anyone to push us further down the group."
The full article contains 492 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
