As Wales prepare for this afternoon’s European Championship playoff semi-final against Slovakia, Jess Fishlock has been deemed fit to play.
There were concerns about the status of the Seattle Reign star coming into these sets of games, as she hadn’t played in the NWSL for a month and a half with an undisclosed leg injury.
However, manager Rhian Wilkinson confirmed in her pre-match press conference that Fishlock will be playing some minutes, along with another injury doubt, Ceri Holland.
“No one was brought into this camp if they weren’t in contention to play minutes. Jess and Ceri have been training really well, and there are always players at the beginning of a new league season who pick up little knocks.
“I’ve appreciated the clubs being cooperative with us here, to make sure we’re looking after the players first, but these are also games where we need to get a result. The fittest, healthiest, best prepared team will be playing in each of our matches.”
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The James era
The first leg out in Poprad marks the first official game with Angharad James as permanent captain.
While she has been handed the armband in the past, tonight will mark a special moment in the centurion’s career.
Yet, while she knows it’ll be a proud moment for her and her family, her focus is solely on the game.
“It’s an extremely proud moment for me. I’ll wear the armband with honour and passion, but it’s not about me in this moment. We have so many leaders in this group at different levels, from the experienced ones to those coming in.
“We all have to step up and we all have to lead on that field. Without eleven leaders, and more, then we don’t get the results that we need.”
While her eyes are firmly on Slovakia, there was a moment of reflection as she spoke to the press, when she talked about her pride of being from west Wales.
With Ben Davies taking the men’s captaincy in Aaron Ramsey’s absence, it means both the men’s and women’s captains hail from the west.
“For me coming from west Wales where, maybe for me growing up, there wasn’t as many opportunities as I would have liked, and I had to move away from home at a very young age. To go full circle and represent Pembrokeshire and Wales is an honour.”
Throughout Wilkinson’s tenure as manager, we’ve heard that this is a team full of captains, but one of their most influential players, Sophie Ingle, is out with a long-term injury.
That means James could well be playing with someone new in the middle of the park, but she has full confidence in whoever the Canadian chooses to play alongside her.
“We all have a responsibility on the field to make sure that we lead and grab the game by the scruff of the neck and get through as a group. I have every faith in this team, and whoever is on that field, I know that they are ready and have performed and trained well this week.
“Tomorrow, we walk out and represent Wales on what is a big occasion, and whoever is picked will be ready to play.”
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Slovakia test
If Wales are to reach Switzerland next summer, the first team they will have to navigate past is Slovakia.
The Slovaks finished in third place in their group, only picking up four points. However, Wilkinson believes they are a better team than what their results have shown.
“Slovakia are a very good team. It will be to our team’s detriment if we are naïve enough to look past the game tomorrow, and when that’s finished, it’s onto the next one in Cardiff.
“It’s one game at a time against a good squad, and I don’t think where they landed in their own group is a real indication of how good they are. They’ve got some talented players, and some of their passages of play have been excellent.
“We respect any opposition we play, we prepare with the upmost professionalism, and the team is ready to deliver their own standard of performance.”
23 places separate Wales and Slovakia in the FIFA Rankings, but there is no chance of Wales underestimating their opponents, according to Wilkinson.
While there will be respect, she stressed the importance of her team also focusing on themselves.
“It’s what people will always say when you get a result you didn’t want against an opposition you felt like you should beat, that you did underestimate them. I don’t think that way as a coach.
“When I look back, especially in that second game against Ukraine, sometimes football matches don’t go your way, and we had some fantastic passages of play, but we just didn’t finish. We learned a lot from it, and the opposition is the latest hurdle to get past.
“We have to respect them, but this is about us, this is about Wales, and how we continue to improve.”
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