Birmingham City manager Steve Bruce is pleading for 'common sense' to solve a club-v-country dispute involving his Wales midfielder Robbie Savage.

The Welsh FA have invoked the four-day FIFA rule before their European Championship qualifier in Azerbaijan on November 20.

They have made it clear they want all their players to report by 3pm on Sunday, November 17 - the precise time Birmingham are scheduled to kick-off their home Barclaycard Premiership clash with Fulham.

But Bruce is calling for some leeway which would allow Savage to play against Jean Tigana's side especially because Wales are not scheduled to fly out for the Euro clash until Monday morning.

The Blues are already in negotiations with Fulham, who have Welsh defender Andy Melville in their side, about the possibility of bringing the kick-off time forward to noon.

Savage would then be flown by helicopter down to Cardiff just in time to meet the Welsh deadline, although it is understood even that compromise is not being viewed with the greatest of sympathy by the national team bosses.

Bruce said: "We haven't heard anything yet, but what we need is a bit of dialogue and common sense with the whole situation.

"We can get Robbie to the hotel, and the reason that we've had to change the game to the Sunday is because Fulham are playing in the UEFA Cup on the previous Thursday.

"We need a bit of common sense from both parties. But it's ludicrous to take Robbie off us when we can get him to the hotel and I do believe that Wales are not flying out until the Monday morning."

Bruce has already had to take a stance with Wales this season in insisting that national manager Mark Hughes' number two Mark Bowen concentrates 100 per cent on his first-team coaching duties with Birmingham.

Meanwhile, Savage's Wales teammate Craig Bellamy flew to Colorado today for treatment on his persistent knee injury.

Bellamy had been expected to return in Newcastle's hard-fought 2-1 win over Charlton at St James' Park.

But a recurrence of the problem which was operated on last May has sidelined him again.

It presents a major worry for Hughes ahead of the Azerbaijan game.

Bellamy, who scored Wales' winner in the 2-1 Euro victory over Italy, will meet world-renowned specialist Dr Richard Steadman.

But Newcastle boss Sir Bobby Robson believes Bellamy will bring good news home with him.

Robson said: "Bellamy's trip is just a precautionary one and my feeling is that the current problem is not an operational thing.

"It's really just to establish some confidence among everybody that nothing needs to be done."