Steve Morison & Darcy Blake to win Wales calls

John Toshack is set to hand first Wales calls to Cardiff defender Darcy Blake and Millwall striker Steve Morison for their August friendly with Luxembourg.

Wales Under-21 international Blake is to be rewarded for his form in Cardiff City’s Championship play-off push at the end of last season.

Morison, 26, answers Toshack’s international call after the Welsh FA discovered he has Welsh ancestry.

But fit-again defender Danny Gabbidon is expected to remain with West Ham.

Gabbidon, 30, has suffered groin and hamstring injuries and Toshack will allow his experienced centre-back to stay with his club to continue rehabilitation to full fitness.

Young Premier League midfielders Aaron Ramsey of Arsenal and Jack Collison of West Ham United have long-term injuries and will miss Luxembourg’s friendly visit to Wales on 11 August.

Swansea City’s 20-year-old midfielder Joe Allen will miss out after undergoing an shoulder operation in May.

However, Toshack is to call Wales captain Craig Bellamy for the Llanelli international. Bellamy has missed the last five Wales friendlies and last four Wales internationals

But Manchester City may want to keep the 31-year-old striker with them for their build-up for their first Premier League game at Tottenham Hotspur on 14 August.

Toshack will also call Premier League stars Spurs left-back Gareth Bale, Aston Villa centre-back James Collins and Dave Edwards, the Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder, for the Wales friendly and await a response from their club managers.

Wales’ sixth match against Luxembourg – having won the previous five – also coincides with the first round of the 2010/11 Carling Cup.

While the Football Association of Wales fear they will find clubs reluctant to lose their players, Wales have at least been boosted by the Welsh FA’s discovery in May that Millwall’s Steve Morison had a grandmother born in Tredegar, near Ebbw Vale.

So, after being watched by Wales assistant Roy Evans, Morison, who scored 23 goals in Millwall’s successful League One promotion campaign, will be named in Toshack’s squad to face Luxembourg when it is announced on 6 August.

Toshack wants to bolster his striking options and former England non-league international Morison is to strengthen a forward-line pool that includes Bellamy, Robert Earnshaw, Simon Church, Sam Vokes and Ched Evans.

Morrison, who signed for Millwall for £130,000 from then non-league Stevenage Borough in the summer of 2009, impressed in his first League One campaign.

The 6ft 2in forward began his career at Northampton Town before drawing attention during his time in non-league for Blue Square South side Bishop’s Stortford and then Blue Square Premier side Stevenage.

His goals inspired Stevenage to two FA Trophy triumphs at Wembley – and Morrison scored in both finals against Kidderminster Harriers in 2007 and York in 2009 – before Millwall’s Welsh boss Kenny Jackett handed him a second league chance.

Blake is also set to win his first Wales call as the 21-year-old was hailed as Cardiff’s form player by his team-mates as an unbeaten 10-game run – including seven victories – sealed the Bluebirds’s ultimately unsuccessful Championship play-off spot last season.

Blake has won 14 caps for Brian Flynn’s Wales under-21 side and marked top strikers like Gabriel Agbonlahor and Mario Balotelli on the international stage.