Gareth Bale out for Wales due to foot problem

Wales midfielder Gareth Bale will not play against the Repubic of Ireland in a friendly tomorrow night due to a foot problem that has troubled him since mid-July, said assistant manager Kit Symons.

Gareth Bale trained yesterday but wont be needing his boots for tomorrows friendly in Cardiff. Picture: PA

Bale joined up with the squad despite being sidelined since picking up the injury in a pre-season friendly for his club Tottenham Hotspur and had a light training session on Monday.

However, Symons told Sky Sports News last night there was no chance of Bale playing against the Irish at the Cardiff City Stadium.

“Gareth will do a light session. He’s not done sufficient work yet to feature (in the match) but the great thing is he wanted to be part of the group and we’re pleased to have him on board,” he said of a player being courted by Real Madrid.

Real are willing to pay a world record transfer fee of more than £85 million for the 24-year-old English Footballer of the Year, according to media reports, although Spurs have repeatedly said he is not for sale.

Asked if the hordes of Spanish journalists at the new Wales training facility at Dragon Park were a problem, Symons said: “I don’t think it will be a distraction. They only want to talk to Gareth and we know Gareth won’t be featuring on Wednesday night, so I don’t think it will affect the group at all.”

Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey and central defender James Collins will also miss the game having withdrawn from the squad through injury with Swansea City full-back Jazz Richards and Brighton midfielder Andrew Crofts coming in as replacements. Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas had said last weekend he did not expect Bale to be fit for the north London club’s Barclays Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on Sunday, but the winger travelled to south Wales to meet up with his international team-mates yesterday morning.

Despite being unavailable to face the Republic of Ireland, Spurs are happy for Bale to remain in camp with Wales where he will continue to train and will be in the stands at Cardiff City Stadium.

Meanwhile, Republic of Ireland midfielder Glenn Whelan hopes a full-blooded Celtic derby against Wales will provide ideal preparation for next month’s vital World Cup qualifiers.

The Republic are firmly in the hunt to progress from Group C and are part of a three-strong group, along with Sweden and Austria, level on points behind leaders Germany.

Next month, Giovanni Trapattoni’s team are due to face the Swedes and Austrians in two games which could define their campaign.

And, while tomorrow’s game in Cardiff may only be a friendly, Whelan knows it is vital to continue a good run of form in which they have lost just once in 2013 – to world and European champions Spain.

“It is massive for us. We have gone on a good run and we need to keep that confidence going as we have got two big games next month,” said the Stoke player.

“We put in a good performance against Spain, even though we lost, and everyone knows how friendlies can help build confidence, so we want a good result on Wednesday.

“We have a few new players around the squad but they want to prove they can do a job on the big stage and we want to go into those games next month on a good performance and with the right result. This is a derby game and we know it will be tough.”

While opponents Wales will be without their star player Bale, as he recovers from his foot injury, Whelan understands the player’s reluctance to take any risks, given the prospect of a world-record move from Tottenham to Real Madrid before the transfer window closes. Speaking before Bale was ruled out of the match, he said: “He has got a big-money move lined up. No-one knows if it is on or off but if I was Gareth I would maybe be a little wary of playing before any deal is made.

“But it’s up to himself and his manager. I dare say he would like to get a deal done and then play for his country, but if it isn’t done, I don’t think we’ll see him.”

Trapattoni’s assistant, Marco Tardelli, believes Bale’s absence deprives Wales coach Chris Coleman of one of the world’s best players. “He is a very good player,” said the Italian. “At the moment he is up there with (Real forward) Cristiano Ronaldo and players of that calibre, and we saw this with what he did for Tottenham last season.”

Of the reported £105million fee Real are ready to splash out on Bale, Tardelli added: “Times change but maybe in my time Diego Maradona may have been (worth that much).

“I don’t know if Bale is worth that much but if someone pays it that is his value.”