A Grimbarian at the Gradski?

By: Dan Humphrey
Date: 19/08/2002

A WORRYING number of midfield injuries leave new Town hero and top scorer Darren Barnard with a decent hope of another Welsh cap this week. Wales take on Croatia at the Gradski stadium for a pre-Euro 2004 qualifiers friendly.

With Newcastle's Gary Speed yet to overcome a niggling injury, and both Ryan Giggs and Jason Koumas following Robbie Savage in withdrawing from Mark Hughes' party to travel to Croatia, the main left-sided players that remain are Everton's Mark Pembridge and Town's Barnard.

Incidentally, is anyone here remotely shocked to see Giggs pull out of a Wales squad before a friendly?

Back to Barnard. Can he achieve in his first month at the club a feat that took Danny Coyne a couple of seasons? Can he succeed where Kingsley Black failed, and where Stuart Campbell is still trying?

Well, it would be nice to see a Town player in international colours, but perhaps worrying that Darren could face a number of extra games without having had a full pre-season behind him.....

Meanwhile, Town loan target Grant McCann, still in at West Ham at the moment, has been called into the Northern Ireland squad.... while those pesky Norwich goalscorers Mulryne and McVeigh have dropped out.

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