Injures no excuse, insists Coleman

​Chris Coleman insists Wales’ injury crisis will not be used as an excuse ahead of Friday’s Euro 2016 qualifier with Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Coleman’s men head into their Group B encounter with six central midfielders ruled out due to injury, Wigan Athletic’s Emyr Hughes the latest player to suffer a setback as he sustained an ankle problem in training.

The raft of injuries will only have furthered Wales’ underdog status going into the clash at Cardiff City Stadium, but Coleman still has faith in the players remaining in his squad to pull off a result.

“It’s bad luck and he’s [Hughes] gone back to Wigan for a scan. He has swelling around the ankle. It’s disappointing but we’ll get on with it,” Coleman said.

“It’s [the injury crisis] a bit weird. “Joe [Allen], Rambo [Aaron Ramsey], Lee Evans, [Andrew] Crofts, [David] Vaughan and now Emyr. But that’s how it is.

“We have players ready and good enough and we’re still looking forward to a titanic challenge. It’s a great one and whoever we have are good enough to get a result.”

Wales captain Ashley Williams echoed Coleman’s sentiments and is keen to ensure maximum points against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Cyprus three days later.

“Bosnia are a very good side but the target is nine points after Monday’s game with Cyprus,” Williams said. “It doesn’t always go to plan but that’s the pressure we put on ourselves.

“We had an awful start in the last campaign and we were playing catch-up from there – that’s why winning in Andorra [last month] was so important, regardless of the performance. I stand by what I said in that I don’t think it could have been more difficult in the circumstances.

“But there’s an expectation in the camp about the campaign. Before it was about hoping we’d do well, that we might qualify. This is different.”