Team News: Robert Page recalls experienced names to Wales XI for Croatia game

The Dragons have already reached a stage where they must realistically win each of their remaining three fixtures, the others being against Armenia and Group D leaders Turkey, to have a chance of finishing in the top two.

Wales warmed up for this encounter with a 4-0 victory over Gibraltar in a friendly earlier this week, but Page has taken the chance to bring experience back into his starting lineup.

Joe Rodon and Chris Mepham - who was an injury doubt - return to the back three in place of Regan Poole and Joe Low, the pair having each made their debut in the preceding fixture.

Connor Roberts and Ethan Ampadu feature at right-back and in central midfield respectively, taking the spots of Wes Burns and Charlie Savage respectively.

In attack, Harry Wilson and David Brooks start behind Kieffer Moore, with Liam Cullen and Nathan Broadhead the players to drop down to the substitutes' bench.

Meanwhile, Zlatko Dalic has made three alterations to the Croatia side that succumbed to a 1-0 defeat at home to Turkey on Thursday.

Two of those changes have occurred in defence with Josip Stanisic and Josip Sutalo losing their places to Josip Juranovic and Domagoj Vida.

Lovro Majer has also got the nod over Mario Pasalic in the final third, but Dalic sticks with the experienced midfield trio of Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic.

Wales: Ward; Davies, Rodon, Mepham; C.Roberts, Ampadu, J.James, N.Williams; Brooks, Wilson; Moore

Subs: Hennessey, King, Lockyer, Bradshaw, Levitt, Cullen, Savage, Poole, Low, James, Sheehan, Broadhead

Croatia: Livakovic; Juranovic, Vida, Gvardiol, Barisic; Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic; Majer, Musa, Brekalo

Subs: Labrovic, Ivusic, Beljo, Erlic, Moro, Pasalic, Sosa, Stanisic, Sutalo, Vlasic