Share

Wales can survive without Bale, says Allen

Cape Town - Wales are potent enough to cope with the absence of suspended playmaker Gareth Bale against Group D leaders Serbia in their World Cup qualifier on Sunday, midfielder Joe Allen has said.

Wales are third in their group, four points behind Serbia, having drawn four of their five matches so far with Bale scoring in each of their last two games.

"We are going to miss him, there is no point hiding from that fact," Allen was quoted as saying by the BBC.

"He's key to us and he's a world-class player, but one of the main qualities of this group is that we're all about team work and we are all about resilience.

"I like to think we have always got a 'plan B' even when we have him playing... You learn that and whether its offensively or defensively we have to deal with the Serbians in many different ways."

Wales suffered one of their heaviest defeats at the hands of Serbia, who beat them 6-1 at Belgrade in 2012.

"For me it was the worst night in a Welsh shirt," Allen said.

"Some of the lads are still in the squad, some are new players, but we are a million miles away from the team that turned out that night.

"That's a positive and I think we can draw on that going into this game. As players you cannot help but carry that feeling of wanting to set the record straight."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 813 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 407 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE