A BUOYANT John Toshack yesterday claimed Wales will beat Slovakia tomorrow and post their first three points of the 2008 European Championship qualification campaign. Despite the absence through injury of five of the team involved in last month’s Group D opener against the Czech Republic in Teplice, the Wales boss said he had every confidence in the young players introduced over the course of the last 18 months. “Although we have to make five changes, if we get it right in terms of the starting line-up and the bench, we will be okay and we will win the game,” he said. "I have got some serious selection problems of the right kind for this game and I’m going to have to leave out people I might normally have liked to include. "And I’m confident that if things don’t go quite as we would wish that we have the variety and options on the bench to change things round. I cannot have asked for more from the players in training this week. "Some of the younger players have been involved in the squad for the past 12 months and they know what is required of them. And some will get their chance of playing in their first competitive game for us.” With Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs ruled out by a hamstring injury, it seems likely that West Brom’s Jason Koumas will be tasked to provide the creative spark at the Millennium Stadium and the Wales boss said it was time for the Wrexham-born midfielder to prove his mettle. |