From Graham Thomas in Dinard
Wayne Hennessey remains a major doubt to return to the Wales team to face England on Thursday.
The Crystal Palace goalkeeper was unable to train with the rest of the squad at their Euro 2016 base on Monday and manager Chris Coleman has stressed that Tuesday will be a critical indicator of whether or not Hennessey is going to recover from his back strain.
“He’s improved since Sunday but the next 24 hours will be the important stage – whether we can add him to the training group for Wednesday,” said Coleman.
“We will see if he can come through a training session and be able to participate in the game on Thursday. So, the next 24 hours will be absolutely crucial.
“He’s got a little tweak in his back. He’s had it before, and sometimes these things are better than at others. We didn’t need him to rush yesterday and today, we have been relaxed with him.
“He’s improved and we hope he can join in a session on Wednesday. If he comes through that then it’s a green light.”
If Hennessey does not recover then Wales will again turn to Danny Ward, the 22-year-old Liverpool keeper who was thrust into his first start for Wales in the victory over Slovakia on Saturday.
Whichever keeper he turns to – and despite England’s stuttering 1-1 draw with Russia – Coleman insists the old enemy are firm favourites for the clash in Lens.
“We’ll go into the game as underdogs again. England will be expected to win the game. We know what our identity is. There has to be a high focus on our preparation and the urgency has to remain.
“If we had lost the first game, it wouldn’t have meant we were going home. Although we won, it doesn’t mean we’re staying. There is still lots of work to be done.”
Coleman is expecting the match to be a full-bloodied local derby and played at a faster, Premier League-style pace than most of the other matches in the tournament.
But despite the expectation for fire in the soul, Coleman has stressed his players need to remain “ice-cool” in their heads.
“We must be smart and streetwise, but it is not a game to be rattling cages. The players cannot get caught up in that atmosphere. They have to be ice-cold in their decision-making and stick to the game plan.
“What we can’t do is get over-aroused by the occasion. People say it’s England v Wales, but for us it’s another game of football. It’s another challenge and it’s all about us.
“We always try to make our country proud, whether we’re playing England or Germany, it doesn’t really matter to me.
“England is another team in front of us and we’re not here to fear anybody. We want to beat the best teams at this tournament and England are one of them.”
