Joe Ledley has not given up hope of proving his fitness ahead of the summer’s European Championship despite scans having confirmed the Wales international suffered a fracture to his left leg during Crystal Palace’s win over Stoke City.
The midfielder, capped 62 times, has been left in a protective boot and will miss the FA Cup final against Manchester United on 21 May after scans revealed the break, suffered as he attempted to tackle Charlie Adam early in the second half on Saturday. Ledley had replaced Yohan Cabaye at the interval but lasted only 11 minutes before hobbling off himself for treatment.
The Wales manager, Chris Coleman, delayed the announcement of his provisional 29-man squad for a pre-tournament training camp in Portugal, which begins in 12 days’ time, for around four hours earlier this week while he awaited the results of scans undertaken by Palace on the 29-year-old.
Those have confirmed a fracture to the left fibula, though so key has Ledley’s contribution been to Wales reaching a first major finals since 1958 – he played in seven of their 10 qualifying fixtures – that he will be offered time in which to prove his recovery is on course.
Palace have indicated the player will be “continually assessed over the next few weeks” in the hope he will still be able to take part in the group stage of the tournament in France. Wales have to name their final 23-man squad on 31 May, five days ahead of a friendly against Sweden, with their first fixture in Group B coming against Slovakia in Bordeaux on 11 June.
Ledley may not be ready to take part in that game, but he still hopes he will be fit and ready to feature in the remaining group matches, against England and Russia in Lens and Toulouse respectively. “As far as we are concerned, he still has a chance of playing in the European Championship,” said a spokesman for the Football Association of Wales. “Obviously, our cut-off point is 31 May.”