Ryan Giggs has told Wales it is time to prove they are much more than a two-man team.
The Wales manager will send his country into Nations League duty against the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday night, without their two biggest influencers – Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey.
It will be the first time neither has played in a competitive fixture since Ramsey made his debut in 2008 and the omens in Dublin are not encouraging.
Wales have won only three competitive fixtures without Bale since the Real Madrid forward made his debut in 2006.
“It’s happened in the past and it’s going to happen in the future where we have to cope without our better players,” said Giggs.
“I will give players chances no matter what age they are, and it’s up to them to take it. Stop that record, prove people wrong if that’s the case, and make the record a little bit better.
“It’s not easy because you’ll always miss someone like Gareth, but we’ve still got players who can make things happen.”
Bale headed back to Madrid on Sunday and Real posted a picture on their Twitter account of the Welshman on the training ground. They reported that Bale was following his own personal programme and used the indoor facilities before taking to the pitch for ball work and other exercises.
Giggs said he expects Bale to play in Real’s La Liga game with Levante on Saturday.
Arsenal midfielder Ramsey played in the 4-1 friendly defeat to Spain on Thursday but returned to London over the weekend where his wife Colleen gave birth to twins.
Their absence means Connor Roberts, David Brooks and Harry Wilson could all start tonight, while Manchester City midfielder Matthew Smith has impressed off the bench in recent games.
Giggs said: “Huge congratulations to Rambo, he’s had two new additions over the weekend.
“But the game is not just about the young players, the experienced players have to help them through the times when you have to tough it out in 90 minutes.
“They’ve had experiences on a football pitch that the younger players might not have had.
“This is going to be different from Thursday, we’re away from home and I’m looking forward to seeing how the young players cope because it will be a challenge. We are going to have to earn our victory without a shadow of a doubt.”
Wales would go top of the three-team group by beating Ireland for the second time in a month.
“We played well in the first game against Ireland and I told the players that’s the benchmark,” said Giggs.
“If we win the game we’re top of the group and will have an excellent chance of topping it. It shows the positivity of the Nations League because all the teams in the group are more or less equal. But if we win, it’s in our hands to go on and top the group and that’s all you can ask for.”
Republic manager Martin O’Neill has pointed to James McClean’s willingness to play through the pain barrier as an illustration of the enduring commitment and desire of his players.
Ireland know anything but victory could leave them looking at relegation to Nations League C and are without a win in four competitive outings, with their critics calling for change.
O’Neill admits they lack the technical quality of some of the sides they come up against, but he has little doubt about their character and willingness to fight for the country, as personified by Stoke midfielder McClean.
He said: “The one thing about the players, I feel as if they want to play for their country, and that’s really, really important.
“Most players do, to be fair, but this group of players, certainly in my time here, have shown an incredible willingness to do it, none more so than James McClean, who broke his wrist in training the day before we played Wales and was actually looking at an injection to see if he could play in the game.”
O’Neill added with a smile: “James is obviously sometimes not right in the head, but he’s brilliant for us, he’s absolutely brilliant for us and he epitomises everything that this side has been about for the last few years.
“Technically, we’re short, we know that. On technical ability, we’re short, and I think everybody can see that. But we’re not short of heart. We wouldn’t have got where we have unless these boys wanted to do everything they possibly can when they’re here wearing the shirt.”
Already robbed of seasoned campaigners Seamus Coleman, Stephen Ward, Robbie Brady, James McCarthy and Jonathan Walters through injury, O’Neill has since lost young midfielder Callum O’Dowda, who was knocked dizzy during Saturday night’s 0-0 draw with Denmark.
He has been forced to dig deep into his resources in the competition to date and has also continued to experiment with a three man defence, but he strongly refutes the suggestion that he has written off the Nations League in the wake of last month’s 4-1 drubbing in Wales.
The manager said: “We set out in the competition to try to do well. We were well beaten in Wales, but we have the chance now to win a match at home, so let’s do it, let’s try to win it. If we do that, we’re right back in it.”
