• London 2012

Coleman tells Pearce to leave out Wales stars

ESPN staff
May 29, 2012
Chris Coleman is wary of an important season ahead © PA Photos
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Wales boss Chris Coleman has put a request in to Stuart Pearce, asking the Team GB coach to omit any of his players from his London 2012 squad.

Pearce is finalising his plans for the Olympic tournament, and is expected to name his 18-man squad within the next week.

A host of Wales players, including skipper Aaron Ramsey, Gareth Bale, Neil Taylor, Joe Allen and Craig Bellamy are in the running for a call up, but Coleman is worried the competition could damage Wales' chances of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.

They face Bosnia on August 15 - only four days after the Olympic final - and then tackle Belgium in their Group A opener on September 7 in Cardiff.

"I hope none of them are in the Olympic squad because it has been a long, hard season," Coleman, who watched his side fall to a 2-0 friendly defeat to Mexico on Sunday in his first game in charge, said in the Daily Star. "If they have to go with Team GB then it's not a lot of rest for them. But it's out of my hands."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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