Gareth Bale confirmed he is fit to start Wales' crunch Nations League clash with Poland.
The Red Dragons go into the match at Cardiff City Stadium needing a victory to remain in League A of the competition. Bale has made 12 appearances for Los Angeles since leaving Real Madrid in the summer, although he is yet to play the full duration of a match for the Major League Soccer side.
Indeed, it has been just over a year since Bale played every minute of a single fixture, with his most recent full outing coming in Wales' 0-0 draw against Estonia on September 8 in 2021. But following his substitute appearance against Belgium on Thursday night, the 33-year-old has declared himself fit to play any role required against the Polish.
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"I feel a lot better physically, and sleep wise. I'm ready to start if the manager selects me," said the Wales captain. "I am closer than I have been [to full fitness] in the last few years, for sure.
"It’s about playing minutes and games and I’m starting to do that a lot more often now. The more I play, the fitter I’ll get. Hopefully, I can start to peak and get stronger and stronger as quickly as possible.
"We want to test ourselves against the best teams and we have a chance to stay in the league tomorrow night by beating Poland."
Rob Page will be forced into making at least two changes to the starting 11 he named in Brussels as Chris Mepham and Ethan Ampadu are both suspended.
Following the 2-1 defeat to Roberto Martinez's outfit at the King Baudouin Stadium, Page confirmed he would make alterations to his line-up, and he has revealed Wales have no fresh injury concerns following their trip to the Belgian capital.
The clash with Poland also represents the final opportunity for players to impress on the international stage ahead of the World Cup in Qatar. And ahead of his side's final match before the global showpiece later this year, Page confirmed he already has a significant number of players pencilled in for his squad for the upcoming tournament.
"I think quite a few if I'm honest," said Page when asked how many places in his 26-man World Cup squad have already been filled.
"I'll be loyal to the group of players that have got us there. They deserve that right to play in the World Cup. I won't allow complacency to set in. The door is always open to other players who are doing really well.
"I've given two young lads [Jordan James and Luke Harris] the experience to come on camp, train with the boys and see what the environment is like and they've really impressed me.
"I'm not saying the squad is picked. I have a core few that I know will be there. Outside of that there are still places to be played for, absolutely."
Wales v Poland gets underway at 7:45pm on Sunday.
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