Joe Ledley challenges Wales fringe players to take chance

Wales midfielder Joe Ledley has challenged the fringe players in the squad to take advantage of the absence of some big names for the upcoming friendlies against Northern Ireland and Ukraine.

The likes of Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey are missing from the squad, and manager Chris Coleman is expected to experiment as he hones in on his Euro 2016 selection.

Ledley is one of the elder statesmen in the squad having made his debut 11 years ago, and he believes that the double-header should be seen as a chance to earn a place at what is Wales's first major international tournament for 58 years.

"There's a few players we haven't seen here for a while," the Crystal Palace man told reporters.

"You always want your best players playing, but these things happen and people who do step in have the chance to put in a performance and get a place in the final squad.

"I'm sure some of those lads will get game-time in these two games."

Wales host Northern Ireland in Cardiff on Thursday before taking on Ukraine in Kiev on Monday.