Earnshaw recalled by Toshack
Robert Earnshaw has been recalled to the Wales squad by John Toshack after a six-month exile.
Toshack has recalled the striker for the friendly with Georgia at Swansea’s Liberty Stadium on August 20 after Earnshaw had not been selected for the previous three matches against Luxembourg, Iceland and the Netherlands.
Earnshaw’s form and attitude had been a major doubt for Toshack, as the former Cardiff man’s unhappy spell at Derby was coming to an end.
The 27-year-old, with 39 caps, has now moved to Nottingham Forest and Toshack hopes that transfer will give him a new lease of life.
Toshack has selected a 19-man squad for the game – Wales’ last warm-up international before their World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Russia next month.
He has not included any of the 28 under-21 players named by coach Brian Flynn earlier in the week for their crucial UEFA championship qualifier against Romania at Wrexham the same night.
That means senior squad players like Aaron Ramsey, Gareth Bale, Wayne Hennessey and Chris Gunter – who would certainly have played against Georgia – have been left to concentrate on the under-21 game, where victory would send Wales into the play-offs in November for next summer’s finals in Sweden.
Wales are also without skipper Craig Bellamy for the Georgia game, the West Ham forward being out for a month with a hamstring strain.
Derby defender Lewin Nyatanga is also out with a knee problem.
Also back in the fold is Cardiff midfielder Paul Parry, who has not played for his country in 18 months for personal reasons.
Wrexham defender Steve Evans also holds his place. If he plays against Georgia he will be the first non-league player to figure in a senior Wales international since 1930.
