MARK Fish and Colin Todd speak as one in the club v country debate . . . but is anybody listening?

The player says he's as frustrated as his manager by the number of international calls that are threatening to keep him out of key games in the promotion run-in.

He has even made noises in Johannesburg, where he believes they could be sympathetic to his situation.

The fact remains, however, that he is only likely to be excused duties for friendly matches and they aren't the games that would deprive Wanderers of his services.

After managing only a 1-1 draw in Mauritius last Sunday, when they started favourites to win, the South African FA are certainly not going to consider fielding weakened teams for any of their remaining qualifiers for the African Nations Cup Finals in Zimbabwe next year - home and away against Gabon (February 27 and April 10) and the return fixture against Mauritius (March 30) - even though they still top their group. And Fish is very much a key member of his national side.

He remains confident though that he can win his release from what he describes as 'soft' friendlies when he takes his case back to the Johannesburg hierarchy.

"There are internationals I will be called up for which won't be as important to me as playing for Bolton," he explains.

"It's time to make decisions, not only by myself but by the club and my country so that they can agree on which games I can go for and which I can't. It's going to be an important couple of weeks for me and for Bolton and, hopefully, if things go my way, everyone will be working to keep the smile on everyone's face.

"There are already one or two games I have suggested to the coach that there is no need for me to come back for. There are 'soft ' friendlies when they can give the younger players a chance while I have more important games to be playing here for Bolton.

"The national coach has been very good so far. He's been very co-operative with the club and I hope he continues being that way. That makes life much easier for everyone involved."

Fish is unlikely to win his release for the Nations Cup qualifiers but he could be excused duties for the April 28 friendly against Denmark in Copenhagen - although that is midweek and wouldn't necessarily prevent him playing for Wanderers on the Saturdays either side.

The games that would cause the biggest potential headache are the Afro-Asian Cup double-header against Saudi Arabia in May. If Wanderers have to settle for a play-off place, would the games, which appear at a distance to be merely showpiece fixtures, come into the category of 'soft' friendly?

Todd accepts he is on a sticky wicket but believes Fish has played enough games for his country to justify being released from friendlies.

In the meantime he has to legislate for being without most of his Scandinavian players for friendly internationals next month. Call-ups, which are due to be annmounced next week, won't keep Frandsen and Co out of any Division One games, but they will keep them out of training sessions at a crucial phase of the season.

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