John Toshack’s Wales open their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign with a trip to Podgorica to take on the world’s newest international side, Montenegro.
The Dragons will travel East with confidence having thrashed Luxembourg 5-1 in their most recent outing and with the Premier League’s man of the moment Gareth Bale in scintillating form.
Of course injuries have again given manager Toshack a headache with Aaron Ramsey, Jack Collison, Brian Stock, Andrew Crofts, Danny Gabbidon and Darcy Blake all missing whilst Simon Davies has recently announced his retirement from international football.
However, the 61-year-old is set to welcome back James Collins into his defence after a calf problem and with Craig Bellamy also back in the fold, Wales do have players the hosts will fear. Millwall striker Steve Morison is expected to take his place up front once again, with Wales tipped to utilise a five man midfield with the pace of Bellamy and Bale on the flanks
Wales have met Montenegro just once before, slumping to a 2-1 defeat last August but with England, Bulgaria and Switzerland making up the rest of Group G will hope to get a result and maintain a good record that has seen them lose only two of their opening European Championship qualifying fixtures since 1976.
European new boys
Montenegro, meanwhile, will be embarking on their first ever UEFA European Championship qualifying game, having only made their international debut in 2007. Largely because of this they are ranked a rather lowly 84th in the world, according to Fifa, yet still nine places above Friday’s visitors.
Whilst they may be the dark horses of the group they do possess quality in Roma striker Mirko Vucinic and Sporting Lisbon’s midfielder Simon Vukcevic. However, one man who Wales will surely be glad to see is missing is Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetic, who suffered a cruciate knee injury in pre-season and will miss the next six months.
Manager Zlatko Kranjcar has admitted that the loss of his star striker will be a big blow to the hosts but insists his team have: "enough quality to get a positive result against Wales; And a positive result is victory; nothing else".
TEAM NEWS
Montenegro
The home side are without key man Stevan Jovetic after the Fiorentina striker suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury in pre-season.Probable starting XI: Bozovic; Pavicevic, Batak, Basa, Jovanovic; Drincic, Novakovic; Pekovic, Vukcevic, Djalovic; Vucinic
Wales
Injuries have once again struck Wales hard but James Collins should be fit enough to take his place in central defence. Steve Morison is expected to be the lone frontman with Joe Ledley, Dave Edwards and David Vaughan lining up in the centre of midfield and Craig Bellamy and Gareth Bale on the flanks.Elsewhere, Toshack must also decide between Boaz Myhill or Wayne Hennessey in the Wales goal.
Probable starting XI: Hennessey; Ricketts, Collins, Williams, Gunter; Bellamy, Ledley, Vaughan, Edwards, Bale; Morison
Prediction
Montenegro1-1 Wales 
