INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY - Wales v Luxembourg
Venue: Parc y Scarlets Date: Wednesday, 11 August Kick-off: 1945 BST
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru & online and score updates on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sport website

Toshack hailed Collins and Gabbidon as his defensive 'nerve centre'

John Toshack fears a Wales central defensive crisis for their opening 2012 European qualifier in Montenegro.

The Wales boss has revealed he does not expect Danny Gabbidon to feature in the 3 September showdown despite playing in West Ham United's pre-season games.

And Toshack, without Lewin Nyatanga, admits he has concerns over fellow Premier League defender James Collins who is recovering from a calf problem.

Toshack acknowledged to BBC Sport: "It is bit of a problem for us."

The former Real Madrid supremo once hailed his experienced centre-backs as Wales' defensive 'nerve centre.'

But Gabbidon and Collins - who have been omitted from Wales' squad to face Luxembourg on Wednesday - have only played one competitive Welsh international together in almost three years as the friends have both suffered injury problems.

Gabbidon started in the Hammers' pre-season friendly against Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday as the 30-year-old recovers from long-standing back, calf and hamstring problems.

The 43-times capped defender has been left out of Wales' squad for their 11 August friendly against Luxembourg in Llanelli as Toshack wants to give Gabbidon rehabilitation time with his club.

Toshack will already be without key midfield duo Aaron Ramsey and Jack Collison for Wales' Euro 2012 qualifier in Podgorica and he revealed Gabbidon, who made just eight starts for West Ham last season, could also miss the trip to Montenegro.

"I think it is fair to say we haven't really seen the Gabbidon of old since his injury problems," admitted Toshack.

"Hopefully by the time we play the first competitive game, we'll see how he has got along at West Ham and if he has played a few competitive games we'd be delighted to see that and get him back in to the squad.

"But for the time being, there has not been enough there really."

Gabbidon's old Cardiff City defensive partner Collins faces a race against time to be fit for Aston Villa's Premier League opener, ironically at West Ham, on 14 August as the 26-year-old, who has won 34 Wales caps, has a calf problem.

"James will hopefully be okay," said Toshack. "But with him, you don't know.

Wales manager John Toshack is preparing for his third campaign

"Although if you look at his recent history with us, James has missed a large percentage of games with injuries so he is prone to this kind of him."

Bristol City centre-back Nyatanga, the 21-year-old who has already won 33 Wales caps, was stretchered off in a pre-season friendly against Blackpool last week with torn knee ligaments

"Lewin obviously a doubt as that type injury we're talking six weeks out so it will be really touch and go," conceded Toshack. "Lewin probably won't make Montenegro."

So if Nyatanga, Collins and Gabbidon miss the Montenegro game, Toshack must choose between three of the central defenders that are in his squad to face Luxembourg on Wednesday in their final Euro warm-up fixture.

So Toshack will run the rule over Swansea City's Ashley Williams, Craig Morgan of Preston North End or recent call-up Darcy Blake at the Parc y Scarlets friendly on Wednesday as who to play at the heart of Wales' defence for their Euro opener.

Ramsey and Collison are high-profile long-term absentees that will miss Wales' opening three Euro 2012 qualifiers but Toshack revealed both are ahead of schedule in terms of their recovery.

"The latest on both players is that they could be back in action by November," said Toshack.

Arsenal star Ramsey is recovering from surgery after suffering a double leg break at Stoke in February while West Ham midfielder Collison underwent knee surgery in May.

"The unfortunate thing is that since our friendly with Scotland last November, four of our midfielders have had surgery," said Toshack.

"Dave Edwards, Joe Ledley, Ramsey and Collison have all been operated on and Collison and Ramsey in particular are good footballers at Premier League clubs.

"I hope we will have sufficient quality to fill that gap left by Aaron and Jack at the moment but we're keen to have them both back fit again."

Wales squad to face Luxembourg at Llanelli's Parc y Scarlets: Jason Brown (Blackburn Rovers), Wayne Hennessey (Wolverhampton W), Boaz Myhill (WBA), Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur), Darcy Blake (Cardiff City), Neal Eardley (Blackpool), Chris Gunter (Nottingham Forest), Craig Morgan (PNE), Sam Ricketts (Bolton Wanderers), Ashley Williams (Swansea City), Andrew Crofts (Norwich City), Simon Davies (Fulham), David Edwards (Wolverhampton W), Andy King (Leicester City), Joe Ledley (Celtic), Brian Stock (Doncaster Rovers), David Vaughan (Blackpool), Craig Bellamy (Manchester City), Simon Church (Reading), Robert Earnshaw (Nottingham Forest), Ched Evans (Sheffield United), Steve Morison (Millwall), Sam Vokes (Wolverhampton W - Loan Bristol City)

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