Fifa World Cup Qualifying Group Four - Finland v Wales
Venue: Olympic Stadium, Helsinki Date: Saturday, 10 October Kick-off: 1500 BST Coverage: Exclusively live on BBC TWO Wales and online, full commentary on BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and online and live text commentary online

John Toshack has warned Wales not to expect Craig Bellamy to transform his Manchester City form onto the international stage in Finland.

The Wales captain is one of the Premier League's form man as his four goals in five games have catapulted Mark Hughes' team into the top four.

Bellamy is near the 'form of his life' but Wales do not have City's plethora of goal-scoring striking superstars.

"The forward players he has there, he has hasn't got with us," said Toshack.

Bellamy has earned universal plaudits for his blistering form, especially his two-goal display in City's valiant 4-3 derby defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The 30-year-old scored in City's 4-2 win over Arsenal before netting the equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Aston Villa on Monday night.

"It's been a very rewarding period for me, admitted Bellamy.

"I'm definitely close to playing the best football of my career. Everything just seems to make sense to me on the pitch right now."

Every day is a battle to fight for my place in the team. But playing with outstanding players inspires you Wales captain Craig Bellamy

City boss Mark Hughes, who seems to be successfully managing Bellamy's persistent knee injury problems, recently praised Bellamy as "outstanding and people are recognising what a talent he is."

When he joined the Eastlands revolution for an estimated £14m in January, Bellamy admitted he would eventually become a bit-part player when City splashed the cash in the summer.

Hughes spent almost £70m on striking talent in the summer as he added Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez and Roque Santa Cruz to their squad that already includes Robihno and Shaun Wright-Phillips.

But despite Bellamy's place consistently under threat, he has retained his place and excelled to become one of big-spending City's most crucial players.

And Bellamy revealed: "The manager said to me 'I'll back you against anyone, I know what you're like when you're fit, just go out there and get your place'. When he said that to me, I knew I was part of it.

"Every day is a battle to fight for my place in the team. You see the players you're training with and they're outstanding - the training is so intense. But playing with outstanding players inspires you."

Bellamy's next assignment is to lead a makeshift Wales team into their penultimate 2010 World Cup qualifier in Finland where he is his country's attacking talisman.

Wales' striking options are limited as one of rookie duo Simon Church and Sam Vokes are set to help Bellamy lead the line as Rob Earnshaw is a doubt with a calf problem.

While Wales cannot enjoy the embarrassment of midfield riches that Bellamy has at City to provide him with the ammunition.

And the Welsh injury crisis means their threadbare midfield will feature Wolves' Dave Edwards, Blackpool journeyman David Vaughan and Arsenal teenager Aaron Ramsey.

"It's different for us as we don't maybe have the potential in the last third of the field that Manchester City do," said Toshack.

"When I look at our squad developing, we are okay apart from the centre forward position. The centre-forward position is a problem for us.

"We have three young lads in Ched Evans, Simon Church and Sam Vokes who we hope over the next year or so they get 20 to 25 club games and put their hand up. As, if we're honest, we do lack someone up there to perform alongside Bellamy.

"But we had games where he and Ryan Giggs played together before Ryan retired and I remember them tearing Austria to pieces - but they missed five or six chances. We lack that one player.

"And Craig's situation is similar to Ryan's with Manchester United. Ryan enjoyed good seasons but he plays alongside Ronaldo, Rooney, Berbatov etc and the pressure was not on Ryan so much at club level as it was at international level.

606: DEBATE It has always been clear we were short in midfield in particular, so why has no back-up been called up? At this rate Toshack himself might need to lace up his boots, God help us Saints19

"Bellamy at Manchester City felt he wouldn't be playing as many games as he has this season with the signings of Abebayor, Robihno, Tevez and Santa Cruz.

"And you can see he almost seems more relaxed as they are not so reliant on him."

And Bellamy acknowledges: "If Wales are to win this game against Finland, I will have to play a big part.

"I will have to do more sprints, cover more ground and run as much as I can. With luck then my ability might make a difference in the game.

"These days I am getting butterflies in my stomach before games. I know I am going to run myself into the ground and whatever happens then is a bonus."

Bellamy is set to win his 58th cap in Helsinki but as he has has suffered a catalogue of serious knee injuries, Toshack admits he may have to manage Bellamy's Wales involvement in a bid to lengthen his career.

Wales squad to play Finland and Liechtenstein in World Cup qualifying Group Four matches on 10 and 14 October:
Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey (Wolves), Boaz Myhill (Hull), Lewis Price (Brentford, on loan from Derby)
Defenders: Gareth Bale (Tottenham), James Collins (Aston Villa), Neal Eardley (Blackpool), Chris Gunter (Nottingham Forest), Craig Morgan (Peterborough), Lewin Nyatanga (Bristol City), Ashley Williams (Swansea)
Midfielders: David Edwards (Wolves), Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), David Vaughan (Blackpool)
Strikers: Craig Bellamy (Manchester City), Simon Church (Reading), Rob Earnshaw (Nottingham Forest), Sam Vokes (Wolves).

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