Bellamy set to make Wales return after injury spell
Bellamy, who helped Newcastle’s reserves beat Blackburn 4-0 at Morecambe’s ground last night, will be assessed by Newcastle medical staff this morning.
And if there is no reaction to his knee injury, the striker will be released to fly to Heathrow and meet up with the rest of Mark Hughes’ squad.
Hughes takes his party from Cardiff to a Heathrow hotel lunchtime today before flying out to Finland tomorrow on Thursday morning and Bellamy is expected to join his countrymen at their London base.
It is the end of what was becoming an entrenched row between Newcastle and Wales, who were concerned by Robson’s remarks after Bellamy’s Barclaycard Premiership comeback at Liverpool on Monday, that: “I will do everything to stop him going.”
Officially, under UEFA regulations, Hughes can insist the player joins the Wales squad tomorrow under the four-day release rule. The Wales boss, though, clearly did not want to be forced into a such a confrontation with Robson so early in his international managerial reign.
A Football Association of Wales spokesman said: “Newcastle will look at Craig in the morning and if he has had no reaction, we are expecting him to be released to join our party en route to Finland.
“Mark Hughes has had long chat with Bobby Robson today and Newcastle are much happier about the situation now.”
Bellamy’s return for 20 minutes at Anfield sparked Newcastle’s two-goal comeback, with the first of their goals being created by Bellamy for his international skipper Gary Speed.
Bellamy had major knee surgery in the summer and the Liverpool match was his first senior action since, which clearly prompted Robson to make it clear he was against his inclusion in the Wales party.
Newcastle does not have to release Bellamy officially until midnight yesterday, and insisted the PFA Young Player of the Year travelled to Morecambe to take some part in last night’s reserve match.
Bellamy had made his position clear, that he wanted to travel to Finland.
He said: “I’m fit and ready to play for my country, but the manager and the chairman told me they wanted me to stay put.
“They told me before the Liverpool game that they were not keen to let me go and play for Wales.
“I know how important the game is to everybody back home, but what could I do, I was in the middle. But I’ve made it clear to Newcastle I wanted to play for Wales at the weekend.
“I can see both sides of the story, but the fact of the matter is that I’m fit to play. I really enjoyed the last 20 minutes at Liverpool.”
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