Cardiff, Nov 14: Wales squad leaves for Euro 2004 playoff match against Russia. Wales manager Mark Hughes says he has identified weaknesses in the Russian team before their Euro 2004 playoff first leg match in Moscow. Hughes and his squad flew out of Cardiff on Thursday (November 13) after receiving the good news that influential midfielder Robbie Savage was cleared to play. The Birmingham midfielder has not trained all week but is now expected to shake off a hamstring niggle in time for Saturday's match. Savage boarded the plane for Moscow with the rest of the squad on Thursday and will again be Wales' midfield lynch-pin against the Russians. Hughes' midfield resources were already stretched, with Mark Pembridge and Simon Davies ruled out earlier, along with central defenders Adrian Williams and Robert Page.
Hughes said: "We've obviously looked at each and every one of their games on video, I've seen a number of their players first hand and and there are certain areas that we can exploit."


Fulham midfielder Pembridge's calf strain means he will not travel to Moscow, although Wales are hopeful that he will be available for the second leg in Cardiff on 19 November.


Williams and Davies are definitely out of the second leg, but Hughes has refused to give up on Page who is struggling with a chipped ankle. Craig Bellamy (knee) and Rhys Weston (ankle) were missing from the original squad.


The rest of Hughes' strike force is also on form, with Rob Earnshaw, John Hartson and Ryan Giggs all on target for their clubs over the weekend.


Russia coach Georgy Yartsev's only injury worry is midfielder Aleksei Smertin, but he could be without defender Vadim Evseev for the first leg. The Locomotiv Moscow right-back has travelled to Munich where his daughter will have heart surgery.



The perfect result for Wales would be a win in Moscow on Saturday. But they would be satisfied with a draw, which then would mean Wales having home advantage in the return leg in Cardiff on November 19.


Bureau Report