Wales captain Aaron Ramsey suffers injury blow and is major doubt for crunch Euro 2024 qualifier with Croatia
AARON RAMSEY is to see a knee specialist amid fears the Wales captain could miss the crunch Euro 2024 qualifier with Croatia.
The Cardiff midfielder, 32, faces a race against time to be fit for the October 15 clash in Cardiff after sustaining the ligament injury to his right knee in training this week.
Ramsey’s Bluebirds manager Erol Bulut has ruled the ex-Arsenal star out for up to three weeks but club and country are now sweating on the results of scans to find out the extent of the injury.
Ramsey posted on Instagram: “Absolutely gutted to say that last week I picked up an injury in training.
“I will be seeking the specialist advice on next steps. I’m determined to get back and help the team as quickly as I can.”
Ramsey has not played since Cardiff’s South Wales derby 2-0 victory over Swansea on September 16 when he scored the second goal from the penalty spot.
Since then Rambo has missed league games against Coventry and Sunderland as well as Wednesday’s Carabao Cup defeat to Blackburn.
Wales boss Robert Page names his squad next Wednesday in Wrexham for the showdown against Group D leaders Croatia.
The Dragons also face Gibraltar in a North Wales friendly on October 11.
Wales lie in fourth spot after five matches but trail the Croats, who have played one game less, by three points.
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And losing Ramsey would represent a major blow as they bid for a top-two place to secure automatic qualification for Germany next year.
Cardiff boss Bulut said: “Aaron picked up him the injury in training on Monday.
“It is a ligament injury in the back of his right knee – the same knee on which he had an operation a few years ago.
“The medical report says he won’t be available for three weeks.
“We don’t know if it is a rupture, we are still awaiting the scans to see how serious it is. I hope that we can have him back after the international break.
“We will miss him. We need a player like him who can keep hold of the ball and read the game.”
Wales’ suffered back-to-back summer defeats to Armenia – a shock 4-2 home loss – and Turkey.
The 2-0 win in Latvia threw Page’s side a lifeline with the Dragons now just three points behind second-placed Turkey and Armenia.
The Football Association of Wales are in contact with the UK Foreign Office ahead of November’s qualifier in Armenia following conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The territory, which had been controlled by Armenians for three decades, was seized by Azerbaijan last week.
Uefa are monitoring the situation with the tie due to be played in Yerevan – 171 miles from Nagorno-Karabakh.
Meanwhile, Gareth Bale will join a Welsh delegation for the Euro 2028 announcement in Geneva on October 10.
The UK and Ireland bid faces competition from Turkey.