Club vs Country: Wales' Boss Hughes Hits Out!


By Matthew Jones
March 30 2004

Wales international coach Mark Hughes has hit out at club managers over recent player withdrawals, including Sir Bobby Robson over the fact that Craig Bellamy will no longer be available.

HUGHES HITS OUT

Hughes has so far lost 10 players from the squad to play Hungary on Wednesday.

He also lost 10 last month, ahead of a friendly against Scotland.

Hughes said: "It's not a situation I'm too happy with. We'll have to look at ways of getting as many players as we can.

"Maybe that means using the regulations we have at our disposal."

He also told BBC Wales: "I gave the clubs a concession by not arranging a game in April.

"But sometimes when they don't even ask for help and just assume their players won't be involved, that's when it grates me a little bit.

"There's always a case for helping people out if circumstances dictate. If I know the work that I need to do can be done without certain individuals, I haven't got a problem with leaving players out.

"It's just a problem when managers and players don't tell me the circumstances they find themselves in and players are pulled out later in the day than they could be.

"We tell the clubs over two-and-a-half weeks in advance that their players will be involved.

"So if they have to come to ask for help they've got plenty of time to do it and not the weekend before the game."

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