Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/882846
21 Sport FOOTBALL maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2017 Wales forward Bale ruled out of World Cup qualifiers WALES forward Gareth Bale has been ruled out of their crucial last two World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Ireland due to a calf injury, The Foot- ball Association of Wales (FAW) said on Tuesday. Bale, who missed Real Madrid's weekend league game against Espanyol, had arrived with the rest of the Wales squad on Sunday and attended an awards dinner in Cardiff. "But following dialogue with Real Madrid, Bale was sent for a scan and results confirmed that he wouldn't be fit to feature," the FAW said in a statement. "Barnsley striker Tom Bradshaw will now join up with the rest of the squad later today." Bale is the most high-pro- file player in the Welsh side and the country's hopes of qualifying for next year's World Cup in Russia are still hanging in the bal- ance. Chris Coleman's team are second in Group D, four points behind leaders Ser- bia and one clear of Ireland in third. They play in Geor- gia on Friday and host Ire- land the following Monday in their final qualifier. Wales need to top the group to secure an auto- matic place in Russia but will go through to the play- offs if they finish second. Bale had been doubtful after Real manager Zin- edine Zidane reported the player was suffering a small calf strain. The 28-year-old has scored 26 goals in 68 ap- pearances for his country and was instrumental in their run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016. From ridiculous to sublime, Tite turns Brazil around LITTLE more than a year has gone by since Tite took over as coach of a Brazil side still reel- ing from embarrassing exits in the World Cup and Copa America but in that short time he has transformed the team into favourites for Russia 2018. No one could have imagined just how influential the former Corinthians coach would be but nine wins in 10 World Cup qualifiers are just reward for a return to the form that won them a record five World Cup titles. "There is no questioning the enormous quality of Brazil's players, Tite and backroom staff," the normally cautious former World Cup winner To- stao wrote before the final two qualifiers against Bolivia and Chile. "The team is ready." Tite retained several players who had misfired under Luiz Felipe Scolari during the 2014 World Cup and his successor Dunga but he transformed their front line with the in- troduction of attack-minded youngsters Philippe Coutinho and Gabriel Jesus. In midfield he recalled Paulinho and Renato Augusto, his former charges at Corinthi- ans. With Real Madrid's Casemiro an automatic choice to anchor the team and Neymar still the undisputed talisman, the side is settled and there are no ma- jor disagreements over the first 11 for the first time in years. Tite's task between now and next June is mostly deciding who will support those lead- ing men. The problem, if there is one, comes with Brazil's al- most customary over-confi- dence. They are the only side to play in every World Cup and even after their 7-1 hammer- ing by Germany in the 2014 semi-finals on home soil, they believe they are special. Just as in 2006, when Brazil sailed through the qualifiers with players like Ronaldo, Rob- erto Carlos, Ronaldinho and Adriano, they go to Russia as one of the clear favourites. But Brazil were knocked out at the quarter-final stage by France and over confidence was one of the reasons cited. Tite is a master of playing down expectations and - cru- cially in a nation that famously has 200 million coaches – he commands the respect of both players and press. That has giv- en him an authority that few Brazil managers this century have enjoyed and he has used it to warn their outstanding form is no guarantee of success. "We are at a stage of strength- ening, consolidating and grow- ing," he said when announc- ing his squad for this week's games. "We're not in the comfort zone stage but rather a confi- dence zone stage." Brazilian national team head coach Tite