Toshack curses his luck

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But the Wales chief admits that the players that have pulled out this time have genuine reasons. Toshack has lost Craig Bellamy, Jack Collison, James Collins and Simon Davies from his squad to face Scotland at Cardiff City's new stadium on Saturday.

Toshack said: "Once again we are not without our problems in that respect. We've had wretched luck with these kind of things."

All have genuine injury problems, although Wales officials will have a watchful eye on whether Manchester City use Bellamy - out for Wales with a groin injury - for Thurday's friendly with the UAE in Abu Dhabi.

Bellamy has travelled to the Gulf state to continue his rehabilitation, and Wales do not expect him to be involved in the match. If he is, relations could become strained with the Eastlands club.

Aston Villa defender Collins missed his club's 5-1 win over Bolton Wanderers at the weekend with a groin strain, while Collison is nursing a knee injury and came off during West Ham's 2-1 defeat at Everton on Sunday.

Fulham midfielder Davies, who has missed the last six games, is out as he struggles for fitness after his operation in April to mend a stress fracture in his foot.

Wales could also be without Leicester midfielder Andy King, who suffered a wrist injury in their defeat to West Brom, and Nottingham Forest defender Chris Gunter, who has a virus.

Toshack said: "The injury things seem to follow us around. Recently, they've been genuine things, they've been bad luck - 99 per cent of them anyway.

"But we can't keep missing players through injury because we can't get any continuity."