By Paul Jones
Wales will be without star striker Brennan Johnson for their crunch Euro 2024 qualifier against Croatia as well as Aaron Ramsey.
Skipper Ramsey had already been declared unfit because of a knee injury a fortnight ago by his Cardiff City manager Erol Bulut, but Wales boss Rob Page had hoped Johnson would make it.
Instead, the £47.5 million Tottenham Hotspur forward is out with a hamstring injury in a huge blow to Wales’ hopes.
Johnson, a summer signing for Spurs from Nottingham Forest, was taken off with a hamstring problem away at Arsenal two weeks ago, and missed Saturday’s win over Liverpool.
https://twitter.com/BBCSportWales/status/1709508135080153314?s=200
Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou said last Friday that the 22-year-old’s injury was “nothing too serious but he won’t be right for this week (the Liverpool game)”.
Johnson will now miss Wales’ crucial Euro 2024 qualifier against Croatia, four days after next Wednesday’s friendly against Gibraltar in Wrexham.
Charlie Savage and Owen Beck have received their first senior team call-ups, stepping up from the U21s, while Luke Harris and Dylan Levitt return to the squad after missing out last month.
No Aaron Ramsey as expected due to his knee injury. Brennan Johnson also missing through injury.
First senior call-ups for Charlie Savage and Owen Beck. Luke Harris and Dylan Levitt return.https://t.co/1wD0IYXbvQ https://t.co/59hxvz3Ixc
— Dafydd Pritchard (@DafPritchard) October 4, 2023
Wales are fourth in Group D, trailing joint leaders Turkey and Croatia by three points, as they aim to reach next summer’s European Championship in Germany.
Wales need a positive result against unbeaten Croatia if they are to keep automatic qualification hopes alive.
The two sides met in Cymru’s opening match of the qualifying campaign back in March, where a debut goal for Nathan Broadhead secured a valuable point out in a 1-1 draw out in Split.
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Wales squad: Hennessey, Ward, A Davies, B Davies, Rodon, Lockyer, Mepham, Poole, Cabango, Williams, Beck, Roberts, Burns, Ampadu, Savage, James, Levitt, Sheehan, James, Broadhead, Wilson, Brooks, Cullen, Harris, Moore, Bradshaw.