Serbia v Wales: Team news, predictions & odds

The qualifying clash in European Group D kicks off at 1945 BST in Belgrade, live on Sky Sports 1 and S4C. 

Contents
1. Serbia v Wales team news
2. Serbia v Wales manager quotes
3. Serbia v Wales betting tips
4. Serbia v Wales Opta facts

Serbia v Wales: Team news 

Hal Robson-Kanu has pulled out of Wales' crucial World Cup qualifier with Serbia.

No reason has been given for his withdrawal but the 28-year-old West Brom striker has been struggling with a leg injury.

Uncapped Swansea winger Daniel James has been called up as Robson-Kanu's replacement.

Wales boss Chris Coleman had previously selected a 23-man squad but there's no Gareth Bale or Neil Taylor, who are ruled out through suspension. 

There are five uncapped players included in the squad, Joe Walsh (Milton Keynes Dons), Tom Lockyer (Bristol Rovers), Gethin Jones (Everton), Lee Evans (Wolverhampton Wanderers) and Ben Woodburn (Liverpool).  

Wales squad

Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Danny Ward (Liverpool), Owain Fon Williams (Inverness Caledonian Thistle)

Defenders: Ashley Williams (Everton), Chris Gunter (Reading), James Chester (Aston Villa), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Jazz Richards (Cardiff City), Joe Walsh (MK Dons), Tom Lockyer (Bristol Rovers), Gethin Jones (Everton)

Midfielders: Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Joe Ledley (Crystal Palace), Emyr Huws (Cardiff City), Dave Edwards (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Joe Allen (Stoke City), Lee Evans (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Harry Wilson (Liverpool)

Forwards: Tom Lawrence (Leicester City),  Daniel James  (Swansea), Sam Vokes (Burnley), Tom Bradshaw (Barnsley), Ben Woodburn (Liverpool)

Serbia v Wales: Manager quotes

Slavoljub Muslin (Serbia)

On taking charge of Serbia, in quotes reported by the Daily Mail from  Belgrade's B92 website: "The players have to take the lion's share of the blame for missing out on three successive major tournaments.

"I will try to instill more passion in them because to play for your national team, you have to love your country. It's about motivation and not money.

"All the other former Yugoslav republics have it and if we can show the same level of determination, I am confident we can reach the 2018 tournament in Russia from a tough qualifying section.

"Wales, Austria and Ireland are strong rivals and it is clear that you can't expect to beat anyone with a half-hearted approach.

"We have to change our attitude while the fans too, who have turned their back a bit on the national team during the barren spell, have to support us in our time of need."

Chris Coleman (Wales)

On previous clash with Serbia: "As soon as I got off the plane I felt it. It was only a reccie but I had butterflies in my stomach. I thought 'Here we go again, I remember this place'.

"I can't say this is another game in the group because it's not for more than one reason. And one of the reasons is that. I suffered there, we suffered there - and it was my fault. That will never leave me.

"I think it would be like that if I went back to Belgrade with my wife for the weekend!"

On link with Crystal Palace: "I'm happy to talk about the Palace. I'd love to go back to the Palace but I'm not sure Prince Charles is ready for me just yet.

"I had a good time at the Palace but I'm only thinking about Serbia. That's all I'm thinking about, that's all I care about. All I care about now is Wales.

"I don't think about after Serbia, I can't afford to think past one game. Lots of things have been said off the back of comments I made at the start of the campaign when I signed a new contract.

"But honestly, I cannot go into a game of football thinking: 'If we lose…' I've never thought like that. It's about making sure our boys perform like they have been. We're not far off." 

On facing Serbia without Gareth Bale: "We've known for some time he's not going to be with us, it's not been sprung on us.

"The worst one is when you get a phone call when you are expecting someone to be there and it ends up they can't be there but we've seen this one coming for some months.

"We probably dealt with the disappointment some time ago. It's good for us as well. When you have a player that good, everybody wants to talk about that player and rightly so, he's earned that.

"But it's a good challenge for us being without him on the pitch. Can we handle it? We've done it before. 

"We went to Belgium once with no Gareth Bale, no Ashley Williams, no Joe Allen - and we got a result. On the night, Aaron Ramsey was incredible, he ran the show.

"People are prepared to step up, I'm quite confident of that. Ideally you want your best players on the pitch but I've had a lot of time to plan. I've total belief in my players. Are they capable of doing what they need to do? Absolutely. There's no worries." 

Serbia v Wales: Betting tips

2pts Serbia to beat Wales at 3/4 - Serbia are strong at home and can take advantage of Wales' key absentees 

Like the two sides above them in the table, Wales are undefeated in their qualifying campaign but they are four points adrift with just one win, over Moldova, and four draws to their name, including a 1-1 draw against Serbia in Cardiff.

Their goalscorer that night, Gareth Bale, is absent and the loss of the Real Madrid star is obviously a huge blow to Chris Coleman's side who fought out a tempestuous 0-0 draw with Ireland on their last competitive outing.

A similar outcome wouldn't go amiss for the Welsh as they can ill afford to lose any more ground on the group leaders. 

Read Ian Ogg's full betting preview!

Serbia v Wales: Opta facts

Wales have never beaten Serbia in an international, losing four of five contests (including games against Serbia & Montenegro in 2003). 

Chris Coleman’s 6-1 defeat to Serbia in September 2012 in his first away qualifier in charge of Wales is his heaviest loss in charge of the national team. 

Wales will be without the suspended Gareth Bale, who scored both of their goals against Serbia in their last three meetings, with the goals coming in the 30th and 31st minutes. 

Four of Wales’ eight qualifying goals in this campaign have been scored by Bale. 

Dusan Tadic has been directly involved in 11 of Serbia’s 12 goals in qualifying so far, scoring four and assisting a further seven times. 

Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored four times in his last three qualifiers for Serbia, including against Wales in November 2016. 

Wales have drawn their last four matches – they’ve never in their history drawn five in succession. 

Since Wales’ defeat to Serbia in World Cup 2014 qualifying (0-3 in Sept 2013), they’ve lost only one qualifying match home or away under Chris Coleman (W8 D8).