WALES' match against Latvia in preparation for the World Cup 2006 qualifiers is just as important as the Group Six trip to Azerbaijan, according to coach Mark Bowen.

The friendly on Wednesday, August 18, in Riga, is Mark Hughes' side's final warm-up match before the qualifying campaign gets under way on September 4.

Bowen is hoping that the side on show will be as close to Wales' competitive team as possible, especially considering that in the Wales squads in recent friendlies up to TEN players have pulled out.

Bowen announced the squad yesterday in the absence of Mark Hughes who is on holiday and he returns to the Wales set-up after an absence of two years - only five weeks since he was controversially dumped as first team coach at Birmingham City.

He said: "I think it is vital that everyone turns up. It is the last game before the qualifiers get under way so Mark (Hughes) will be looking at the next two games in the Football League and the Premiership very closely and hoping that everyone remains fit and well.

But Bowen does not believe that Mark Hughes will lose patience and start ordering players ultimatums. He said: "I don't think you can say we'll get tough and say 'if you don't turn up, you don't play', because we have only got a certain amount of top quality players to chose from.

"We got to hope that these lads, with the relationship they have with Mark, realise the importance of the World Cup qualifiers coming up.

The Latvia game is as important as those games because that is where we start off putting things they way we want them."

The squad contains few surprises with Ryan Giggs out as he is suspended for the first two qualifying matches and Simon Davies out through injury, giving Paul Parry an opportunity to stake his claim for a starting role in September.

Bowen believes that Wales might be better equipped then last year to cope with the rigours of the qualification campaign and he thinks that the depth of squad has improved.

He said: "You have got the likes of Paul Parry and Carl Fletcher involved and it is always nice for so-called regulars to have pressure put on them.

"I have no doubts that throughout the campaign, their are players who regard themselves as regulars, but if they are not doing the business we have got a lot more strength behind them for Mark to change things as and when he wants to."

With England over the horizon for Wales, after their trip to Azerbaijan and a home match against Northern Ireland, Bowen does not think the Svengate scandal will swing the match in Wales' favour.

He said: "I don't think this will have an effect on them.

"They are a big country with a lot of resources and it is a huge game.

He added: "But we have two massive games before them and there is no point going into the England games with only two points and thinking that you have to beat them.

"It is important that we take a 100% record into that game."