DETERMINED Wales star Andy Melville aim to send a tough message to Fulham boss Jean Tigana tomorrow night: You're wrong to axe me.

The 33-year-old centre back looks set to cap his 50th appearance for Wales against the Czech Republic by taking the skipper's armband from the injured Gary Speed.

But just 72 hours earlier Melville was unceremoniously dumped on the bench for Fulham's 2-0 Premiership defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

Melville has been identified by French playing legend Tigana as partly to blame for a sensational slump in form at Craven Cottage since the turn of the year.

Six straight defeats have wiped out Fulham's proud claim as holding one of the best defensive records in the Premiership and they are now embroiled in a bitter relegation battle.

But Melville hit back in Cardiff yesterday by declaring: "He (Tigana) knows what I'm capable of and it will be nice to prove a point to him.

"I don't know if he'll be at the game or whether he'll send someone to watch me but I want to turn things in my favour by producing a positive performance tomorrow and then seeing what happens at the weekend."

Melville is desperate to force his way back into Fulham's side to face Southampton on Saturday: "Just five games ago, we had a great defensive record and now I'm getting the blunt end of our problems.

"But I've just got to take it on the chin. We have been conceding goals and maybe he can see things on the touchline which I can't. He makes the decisions."

Swansea-born Melville is keen to put his troubles behind him at the Millennium Stadium and celebrate his 50 caps with another positive chapter in Wales' revival.

Meanwhile, 11 players in total have withdrawn from the Welsh squad.

Robert Earnshaw, Ryan Giggs, Andy Johnson, Mark Crossley, Gary Speed, Carl Robinson, Iwan Roberts, Kit Symons, Mark Pembridge, Darren Barnard and Craig Bellamy have all pulled out for various reasons.

As a result Wales manager Mark Hughes has called up Cardiff City defensive duo Scott Young and Rhys Weston, Brentford midfielder Paul Evans and Coventry City striker Paul Trollope.