| Venue: Stadion Poljud, Split Date: Saturday, 25 March Kick-off: 19:45 GMT |
| Coverage: Live on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio 5 sports extra, the BBC Sport website & app; live text commentary on BBC Sport website & app. |
Brennan Johnson will be able handle the pressure of being compared to Gareth Bale says Wales manager Rob Page.
Wales are preparing for the Euro 2024 qualifiers without Bale, scorer of a record 41 goals in 111 appearances for Wales, who retired in January.
Johnson has scored nine goals for Nottingham Forest on their Premier League return, although he will have a groin injury assessed ahead of games against Croatia and Latvia.
“Brennan is a top player,” Page said.
“He’s arguably one of the best counter-attacking centre-forwards in the Premier League at this moment.
“Top players deal with pressure. He will be fine with that.
“His journey in the last two years since we brought him up to the first-team has been really impressive. But we have to manage that with young players.
“There’s no expectations from us, he just needs to keep playing how he has been and he will continue to create chances.
“Some of the opposition defenders he will play against are not as good as what he is facing week in, week out in the Premier League.
“We know he is capable of scoring goals, his pace is an unbelievable asset and threat, so we will continue to develop him and take that pressure off him. He just has to enjoy his football.”
The forthcoming qualifying campaign will see Wales without the presence of Bale for the first time since 2006, when he made his debut as a 16-year-old.
Former Southampton, Spurs, Real Madrid and LAFC player Bale was Wales’ talisman and helped the national team reach back to back European Championships and a first World Cup since 1958.
“Gareth was one on his own. World-class. Absolutely,” Page added.
“Brennan still has a lot of developing and improving to do. We think we can make him a better player as well.
“He is showing great potential at this moment, but we can’t compare him to Gareth. They are different types of players.”
Wales start their Euro 2024 campaign against World Cup semi-finalists Croatia in Split on Saturday before hosting Latvia at Cardiff City Stadium three days later.
Page is also without Joe Allen, Chris Gunter and Jonny Williams, who have also retired from international football
“It’s not just Brennan that has to come in now and step up to the plate, it’s an opportunity for the others around him to take that responsibility.
“It’s still the same journey we are on, it’s just that some of the players have retired.
“We want success. The biggest thing for us now is we don’t just hope with the question, ‘Can we qualify?’
“We believe we can. The biggest thing has to be the mindset in the changing room.”