MARK Hughes (pictured) has been blasted over the omission of Welsh international Gareth Taylor from this weekend's World Cup qualifying Group 5 match against Belarus.

The Wales squad gathered yesterday at their Vale of Glamorgan HQ to prepare for Saturday's final World Cup qualifying match against Belarus.

But in a blistering attack on Hughes, Taylor's club manager at Burnley, Stan Ternent, has accused the Welsh chief of 'having a laugh'.

Burnley boss Ternent hit out, saying: "I can't believe they have not called Gareth up." And Taylor, who finally got an international re-call in August after three years in the wildernesss, revealed he learnt his fate via teletext.

Taylor, who joined Burnley on a free transfer during the summer, said: "I can't do anything about it. It was my dad who phoned me to tell me I was not in - because he had seen it on teletext."

The 28-year-old striker said he had half expected to be left out but still hopes to add to the eight caps he has won, his last coming in 1998 when he played against Jamaica in Cardiff.

Ternent added: "They call Gareth up - take him away - then don't play him. Then they leave him out of the next squad - without telling him."

Ternent went on: "That's wrong and I think they are having a laugh at our expense. It is not the way I would do it."

But an FAW spokesman dampened down the fire, commenting, "With all the goodwill in the world, occasionally, for various reasons, it is not possible to contact every player included in or left out of a squad before it is announced.

"It is the sort of thing that happens every now and again, no disrespect is intended and I'm sure the player understands this."

Meanwhile, Hughes is ready to hand the captaincy back to Gary Speed as he prepares his team for their Group Five qualifier.

The Newcastle United midfielder has played only 33 minutes of competitive football in the past five weeks.

The return of Speed and Everton midfielder Mark Pembridge from injury is a massive boost for Wales.

Middlesborough goalkeeper Mark Crossley has pulled out with an injured back as Wales bid for their first ever win at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.