{"id":2776,"date":"2022-03-16T11:44:08","date_gmt":"2022-03-16T11:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worabia.com\/news\/top-trends\/2776\/"},"modified":"2022-03-16T11:44:08","modified_gmt":"2022-03-16T11:44:08","slug":"bale-and-ramsey-in-wales-squad-for-world-cup-play-off-against-austria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worabia.com\/news\/top-trends\/2776\/","title":{"rendered":"Bale and Ramsey in Wales squad for World Cup play-off against Austria"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Men’s World Cup Qualifying Play-off Semi-Final: Wales v Austria<\/span><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Campus:<\/strong> cardiff city stadium <\/span>Date:<\/strong> Thursday, March 24 <\/span>Kick off:<\/strong> 19:45 BST<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Coverage:<\/strong> Live BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru, BBC Sport website and app, plus live text online. BBC Two Wales highlights from 23:15 GMT and <\/span>later on request<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey will lead Wales’ World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final challenge against Austria in Cardiff next week.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Wales boss Robert Page hopes the influential duo are free from the injury problems that have cut short their seasons at the club.<\/span><\/p>\n

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But Wales will be without goalkeeper Danny Ward, Tyler Roberts and James Lawrence for the match on Thursday 24 March.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rabbi Matondo and Tom King are back to help fill those gaps.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ward is absent due to a knee injury that led to surgery and his Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers said: “He will be out for a number of weeks.”<\/span><\/p>\n

James Lawrence is also absent while recovering in St Pauli from a thigh injury.<\/span><\/p>\n

The inclusion of Bale and Ramsey is a boost, but both have had limited playing time this season.<\/span><\/p>\n

Captain Bale has only made two appearances for Real Madrid since Wales last played in November.<\/span><\/p>\n

As for Ramsey, since joining Rangers on loan from Juventus in January, only two of his five appearances have been starts.<\/span><\/p>\n

With Ward injured, goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey will reach 100 caps if he plays against Austria and in the friendly – against an unconfirmed opponent – the following week.<\/span><\/p>\n

The semi-final winner of Wales and Austria was due to meet the winner of Scotland against Ukraine but, due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, that match was postponed.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Scotland-Ukraine match will now be played in June, with the play-off final to follow in the same month.<\/span><\/p>\n