WELSH defensive duo Danny Gabbidon and Mark Delaney are hoping to give Mark Hughes and his injury-ravaged Wales squad some light relief today.

Hughes' plans for Wales' crunch Euro 2004 qualifying clash in Azerbaijan on Wednesday (3pm GMT) have been thrown into disarray as seven players, four of them key men, have pulled out of the 25-man squad.

Newcastle United striker Craig Bellamy last night officially pulled out of the trip with Toon boss Sir Bobby Robson still concerned about his knee problem.

Birmingham City midfielder Robbie Savage suffered a nasty groin injury in the Blues' goal-less draw against Fulham and withdrew, Everton's Mark Pembridge has a calf strain and cannot play and West Bromwich Albion ball-winner Andy Johnson has a stomach virus.

Uncapped Swansea forward James Thomas has been called into the squad as cover.

Bellamy, Pembridge and Savage were all key men in Wales' superb 100% start to the Group Nine campaign with cracking wins against Finland and Italy.

Three other squad members, Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Nathan Blake (ankle ligaments), West Brom playmaker Jason Koumas (personal reasons) and Burnley hitman Gareth Taylor (concussion), have also been withdrawn from the Baku showdown.

Due to his massive sick-list, Hughes has been forced to call-up Reading's veteran centre-half Adrian Williams and Wigan Athletic attacker Neil Roberts.

Both centre-back Gabbidon and Aston Villa right-back Delaney were facing a race against time to prove their fitness before Hughes' team made the arduous seven-hour trip to the former Soviet state today.

Gabbidon has had a back problem for about a week while Delaney got a knock in Villa's West Midland derby draw at West Brom, but both men say they will pull through.

Panteg-born Gabbidon, 23, insisted: "I think I'll be okay.

"I have had a lot of treatment over the last week and this morning so fingers-crossed I'll pull through.

"I've had this problem before so I know how long it takes to get bette. Now I'm just hoping my back responds well to treatment and I can travel."

And Delaney, 26, said: "My foot knock is a bit sore and stiff and I am having treatment, but it is not serious."

l Welsh soccer chief Mark Evans confirmed today that Wednesday's clash will be at the 30,000-capacity Tofig Bahramov Stadium in Baku.

There had been fears the game could be moved to a smaller ground elsewhere in Azerbaijan's capital city for political reasons.