LONDON, May 19. (PA Mean/dpa/EP) –
Real Madrid striker Gareth Bale, who has not been on a white team list since April 30 due to a back injury, has been declared fit to lead the Wales squad for the World Cup playoff final of Qatar that will be played this year.
Wales manager Robert Page has put together a 27-player squad led by captain Gareth Bale for that final step in securing a World Cup presence for the first time in 64 years if they manage to beat Scotland or Ukraine in Cardiff on the 5th. of June.
Bale has only made two substitute appearances for Real Madrid since scoring both goals in Wales’ 2-1 World Cup playoff victory over Austria on March 24. However, the 32-year-old player has not been available in the last five games for the white team due to a back problem.
But Bale has returned to training this last week as part of the white team’s set-up for the Champions League final against Liverpool on May 28.
Rangers midfielder Aaron Ramsey is also back on the Welsh roster, following his penalty shoot-out failure in the Europa League final against Eintracht in Seville on Wednesday. The former Arsenal man took the field with just three minutes remaining in extra time and his erratic shot ended up being decisive.
Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward is also available again following knee surgery and replaces Salford goalkeeper Tom King. Bournemouth striker Kieffer Moore is another novelty, as he missed Wales’ win over Austria with a broken foot. Sunderland striker Nathan Broadhead, who has scored 13 goals in 26 games, makes his debut on a Welsh national team list.
The Dragons will also play Nations League matches in June, with home and away games against the Netherlands (June 8 and 14), Poland away (June 1) and Belgium in Wales (June 11). June).
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