NATHAN Blake looks set to put his international retirement on hold after he was yesterday named in Wales manager Mark Hughes' 26-man squad to face Scotland in their Millennium Stadium friendly on February 18.

Blake, who revealed to the Argus on Saturday that he would retire from international football if he wasn't included in the squad, will win his 30th cap if involved in the match.

The squad includes former England Under-21s international Ben Thatcher.

The Leicester player has been given the green light to play for Wales after switching his allegiance last month.

Hughes revealed he could play Thatcher as a centre-back and not in his normal left-back role.

Newcastle's Craig Bellamy is also included despite the fact he has only just returned from knee surgery.

Hughes will assess Bellamy closer to the game before deciding whether or not the Newcastle man is fit enough to play any part in the friendly. Another player who has also just returned from injury is Tottenham midfielder Simon Davies.

And Hughes even joked that the squad for the friendly was stronger than the one he had for the Russia game.

"Simon has come back and is playing well and is a huge asset to our squad," said Hughes. In fact the squad for this game look a lot stronger then the one I had for the Russia defeat."

The mass exodus of players set for retirement has not happened and senior players Andy Melville, Paul Jones, Speed and Blake are all included.

However, Newport-born Paul Parry does not make the squad along with his Cardiff City team-mates Rhys Weston and Martyn Margetson.

"I think it has just come a bit too soon for Parry," revealed Hughes. "He needs to settle in at his new club and prove himself in League football."

Wales squad to face Scotland at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on February 18:

Coyne (Leicester), Jones (Wolves), Ward (Nottm For), Crossley (Fulham); Melville (Fulham), Pembridge (Fulham), Delaney, (Aston Villa), Edwards (Aston Villa), Gabbidon (Cardiff), Page (Sheff Utd), Thatcher (Leicester), Williams (Reading), Barnard (Grimsby); Davies (Tottenham), Giggs (Man Utd), Johnson (West Brom), Koumas (West Brom), Oster (Sunderland), Robinson (Portsmouth), Savage (Birmingham), Speed (Newcastle); Bellamy (Newcastle), Blake (Wolves), Hartson (Celtic), Taylor (Nottm For), Earnshaw (Cardiff).