'No excuses' as Wales aim for top spot in Euro bid

Uefa Women's Euro qualifier: Croatia v Wales

Venue: Branko Cavlovic-Cavlek, Karlovac Date: Friday, 12 July Kick-off: 19:15 BST

Coverage: Live connected BBC One Wales, iPlayer, BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru, nan BBC Sport website and app, positive unrecorded matter commentary.

Highlights: S4C from from 22:00 BST and later connected demand.

Wales leader Rhian Wilkinson says location tin beryllium “no excuses,” arsenic her broadside bid to triumph their European Championships qualifying group and scope a first awesome finals.

Wales person ceded advantage to Croatia aft 2 draws past period against Ukraine and person nary separator for correction arsenic they pursuit apical spot successful group B4, ideally needing wins complete Croatia and Kosovo successful their last group games to guarantee apical spot.

A tie pinch Croatia would time off Wales relying connected results going their measurement connected Tuesday erstwhile Croatia look Ukraine, and while Wales are already guaranteed a play-off berth, failing to triumph nan group will lead to a trickier semi-final.

Wilkinson’s broadside will spell apical of nan group – and triumph promotion to League A for nan 2025-26 Nations League - if they triumph successful Croatia pinch their superior extremity quality meaning they efficaciously only request a constituent astatine location against Kosovo astatine Parc y Scarlets successful Llanelli connected Tuesday. However, if Wales suffer successful Karlovac, Croatia triumph nan group.

Wales’ hopes of triumph successful Croatia are improbable to beryllium helped by soaring temperatures crossed Europe that person led to a terrible upwind informing – for power – for Friday’s important qualifier successful Karlovac.

However, Wilkinson says conditions – and nan truth astir of Wales’ players are successful their close-season – cannot beryllium considered arsenic excuses arsenic Wales pursuit nan 3 points they need.

“The Ukraine tie past clip was a blow, but it’s a reminder that you are not talented thing and we person to activity for everything we get,” she told BBC Sport Wales.

“So whether it is nan heat, whether we person travelled, are gathering immoderate of nan players here, arsenic I’ve said since nan beginning, location can’t beryllium excuses successful our campaign.

“We are present pinch a ngo and we person to find a measurement to present and that is our main focus.”

Wales’ players travelled to Croatia from Cardiff without Seattle Reign trio Jess Fishlock, Angharad James and Lily Woodham, who flew separately aft Reign’s 5-2 conclusion to KC Current connected Sunday.

“We person a reality that immoderate players play successful nan US and connected nan westbound coast, they played connected Sunday and pinch nan logistics of it, pinch subordinate wellbeing successful mind, wanting them to travel present arsenic patient arsenic possible… it made consciousness that they didn’t recreation pinch us.

“We are pleased to person them backmost pinch us.”

Wilkinson has named a 5th different skipper successful her 5th lucifer arsenic manager, pinch Liverpool midfielder Ceri Holland fixed nan honour of starring nan side.

“We person galore players pinch activity qualities, arsenic I person said before,” Wilkinson added.

“Ceri is wearing nan armband now; we are getting person to maine naming a imperishable skipper and this highlights nan qualities of different player.”

Holland says she is “honoured,” to beryllium starring her country.

“It is unexpected, but it’s 1 of nan biggest honours to lead retired these girls,” she said.

“I deliberation I person nan mindset of trying to thief nan squad arsenic overmuch arsenic I tin and I will effort and lead by illustration pinch my work-rate."

Holland says nan Wales players will beryllium capable to header pinch nan ferocious power successful Croatia wherever temperatures person soared to 35 degrees.

“It is very basking and location is nary getting distant from that, but we can’t alteration nan weather,” Holland added.

“It is nan aforesaid for some teams and we will person strategies successful spot to thief america connected nan day.”

Wilkinson says she will inquire for h2o breaks during nan match, while Wales’ backroom unit person plans successful spot to cool players down by utilizing crystal towels.

Wales are without respective cardinal players for Friday’s conflict pinch Croatia and nan sojourn of Kosovo connected Tuesday.

Defender Josie Green misses retired aft picking up an wounded that kept her retired of nan past world camp, while Esther Morgan, Hannah Cain and Elise Hughes stay semipermanent absentees, though Cain has returned to training pinch Leicester City aft undergoing knee room for a 2nd time.