Jovetić absence overshadows Welsh visit

Montenegro and Wales met for the first time in a friendly in Podgorica last year but will be doing it for real in their opening UEFA EURO 2012 Group G qualifier, with a place in the finals in Poland and Ukraine the dream.

Team news
• Montenegro will be without ACF Fiorentina playmaker Stevan Jovetić, who has been ruled out for between six and eight months with a serious knee injury, making life difficult for coach Zlatko Kranjčar. "Jovetić was one of the most important players in my plans," he said. "It is a different team with and without him, but we have enough quality to get a positive result against Wales. And a positive result is victory; nothing else."

• Montenegro squad
Goalkeepers: Mladen Božović (Videoton FC), Srdjan Blažić (R. Standard de Liège), Ivan Janjušević (FK Mogren Budva)
Defenders: Marko Baša (FC Lokomotiv Moskva), Savo Pavićević (FC Kavala), Miodrag Džudović (PFC Spartak Nalchik), Milan Jovanović (PFC Spartak Nalchik), Stefan Savić (FK Partizan), Luka Pejović (FK Mogren Budva), Draško Božović (FK Mogren Budva), Žarko Tomašević (CD Nacional), Radoslav Batak (FK Mogren Budva)
Midfielders: Elsad Zverotić (FC Luzern), Ivan Fatić (Genoa CFC), Milorad Peković (SpVgg Greuther Fürth), Mitar Novaković (FC Amkar Perm), Vladimir Božović (FC Rapid Bucureşti), Simon Vukčević (Sporting Clube de Portugal), Nikola Drinčić (FC Spartak Moskva), Branko Bošković (DC United), Mladen Kašćelan (Jagiellonia Białystok)
Forwards: Mirko Vučinić (AS Roma), Radomir Djalović (HNK Rijeka), Fatos Bećiraj (FK Budućnost Podgorica), Andrija Delibašić (Rayo Vallecano de Madrid), Dejan Damjanović (FC Seoul)

• Manager John Toshack's squad includes Craig Bellamy, who has dropped out of the Premier League after agreeing a season-long loan with Cardiff City FC from Manchester City FC, and Steve Morison, who made his debut in the 5-1 win over Luxembourg in last week's friendly international. Toshack said: "Although he [Morison] didn't score [against Luxembourg] his presence was important while the others flitted around him and he can be pleased with his debut."

• Wales lost four members of Toshack's initial selection to injury, with defenders Danny Gabbidon and Darcy Blake withdrawing along with midfield players Brian Stock and Andrew Crofts.

• Wales squad
Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC), Boaz Myhill (West Bromwich Albion FC), Jason Brown (Blackburn Rovers FC)
Defenders: Chris Gunter (Nottingham Forest FC), Neal Eardley (Blackpool FC), Craig Morgan (Preston North End FC), Ashley Williams (Swansea City FC), James Collins (Aston Villa FC), Sam Ricketts (Hull City AFC), Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur FC)
Midfielders: David Cotterill (Swansea City FC), Andy Dorman (Crystal Palace FC), David Edwards (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC), Andy King (Leicester City FC), Joe Ledley (Celtic FC), David Vaughan (Blackpool FC)
Forwards: Craig Bellamy (Manchester City FC), Simon Church (Reading FC), Robert Earnshaw (Nottingham Forest FC), Ched Evans (Sheffield United FC), Steve Morison (Millwall FC)

Match background
• Montenegro's record in one game against Wales reads W1 D0 L0 (W1 D0 L0 at home).

• The nations' only previous meeting produced a 2-1 victory for Montenegro on 12 August 2009, when a Stevan Jovetić penalty and a Radomir Djalović strike on the stroke of half-time put the hosts ahead before Sam Vokes pulled one back after the break.

• This game will be Montenegro's first UEFA European Championship qualifier as an independent nation. The Football Federation of Montenegro (FSCG) was not granted full UEFA membership until January 2007.

• Montenegro's home record in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying was W1 D3 L1, with that lone defeat a 2-0 reverse against then reigning world champions Italy. Wales's away record in the same tournament was W2 D0 L3.