WALES manager Chris Coleman has launched a staunch defence of Aaron Ramsey after including the midfielder in his squad to face Belgium next week, writes Andrew Penman.

Ramsey returns alongside Liverpool’s Joe Allen and former Newport County AFC star Lee Evans for the Euro 2016 qualifier in Brussels on Sunday, November 16.

The Arsenal ace missed last month’s draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina and the win over Cyprus with a hamstring injury.

And he has come in for heavy criticism since returning to fitness for his club and struggling to recapture his incredible form of last season, which culminated in him scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup final.

Sky TV pundits Dietmar Hamann and Charlie Nicholas blamed Ramsey for the Gunners’ collapse from 3-0 up to draw 3-3 with Anderlecht in the Champions League on Tuesday.

But Coleman insists that is unfair and he’s backing the former Cardiff City youngster to prove his quality once again in the coming months.

“I’m just glad he’s playing again,” said the national manager. “I know Aaron and he needs to play regularly.

“When it’s stop-start it’s difficult for any player. When he went from Cardiff to Arsenal it was difficult because he was in and out of the side.

“Then he got a real serious injury and it took him time to get back. It was stop-start again but then he had a run of games and bang; we all saw what a great player he is.

“He’s had one or two injuries again now since the end of last season but once he gets his rhythm again he’ll be back to where he was.

“He just needs games and minutes on the pitch. He’ll be fine.”

On Nicholas’ claim that Ramsey has regressed to the frustrating form he showed before the last 18 months, Coleman added: “Charlie Nicholas gets paid to give his opinion as a soccer pundit but I don’t think it’s as black and white as that.

“No player plays well every game and Charlie should know that. Everyone has good spells and bad spells and if Aaron’s not at his best at the minute then in a few weeks he’ll be back to his best.

“He’s the same player he was and he’s still a great player.

“He’s played in games for us where we haven’t been at our strongest in terms of what we’ve got on the pitch and he’s totally run the game.

“He dictates the tempo of a game at both ends of the pitch and not many players can do that.”

Real Madrid star Gareth Bale is also named in the squad but there is no place for the suspended Andy King, who serves the first of a two-match ban, and injured trio Simon Church, Sam Vokes and David Edwards.

The injury to Edwards gives his Wolverhampton Wanderers teammate Evans another chance to make his senior international debut.

The 20-year-old from Newport was called up to the squad last month but had to pull out with a hamstring injury.