BBC SPORT | Football | Internationals | Wales | Hughes calls for Fifa rule change

Wales manager Mark Hughes says lessons must be learned from the Fifa fiasco which has ruined his preparations for the match against Azerbaijan.

World football's governing body made an astonishing U-turn on Tuesday by clearing five Wales players to play for their clubs three days before the Euro 2004 qualifier.

And Hughes' plans took a further blow on Thursday when Nathan Blake was ruled out of the squad.

The Wolves striker said he faces a lay-off of anything between two and six weeks after injuring his ankle in Wednesday's league draw with Portsmouth.

Nathan Blake
Blake is a valuable squad memeber
"I'm gutted," said Blake. "Although I haven't been playing in the team, it's been nice to have been involved in the squad."

Fifa had originally granted Hughes permission to invoke the four-day rule which would have obliged clubs to release the players on the Saturday evening before Wednesday's game.

Fifa favours clubs over Wales

Ryan Giggs, John Hartson, Mark Pembridge, Andy Melville and Robbie Savage are now free to play for their clubs, leaving Hughes' schedule in chaos.

These players will now miss the main training sessions in Cardiff on Sunday, 17 November.

And their only preparation could now only be a light training session on the Tuesday - the night before the crucial game in Baku.

It's a case of keeping your fingers crossed that nobody gets injured

Wales manager Mark Hughes

Furthermore, if any of them are injured on Sunday, Hughes faces a frantic few hours to call up players as cover.

Said Hughes: "I'm deeply disappointed at the outcome, but we must keep focused and just get on with the job in hand.

"It's not the ideal preparation for a European Championship qualifying game, when the spine of your team are playing three days before a major international.

"You can bet whoever made the rule is not an international manager.

"This has certainly not helped us and now it's a case of keeping your fingers crossed that nobody gets injured.

"Lessons have to be learnt. There should be one point of contact at Fifa, who can give the right decision there and then, instead of all this confusion."

A win for Wales over Azerbaijan would take them five points clear at the top of Group Nine after three games.


	Links to more Wales stories