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Gareth Bale would never say he’s too tired to play for Wales – with boss Chris Coleman claiming the Real Madrid star is a machine.

England and Liverpool star Raheem Sterling found himself in the middle of a blazing club v country row last week after Three Lions boss claimed the wideman had said he’d been too tired to play against Estonia.

But Coleman reckons even Robo-Bale – on a mission to help Wales qualify for a first major finals – needs better protection from referees after taking “a battering” on international duty.

Bale’s passion was part of an impressive display of togetherness that helped Wales to a draw with top seeds Bosnia and a hard-fought ten-man win over Cyprus to give the nation their best start to a qualifying campaign in 12 years.

But while Coleman said he could not blame the sides for their “blatant” targeting of Wales’ best individual talent, he did claim officials need to stamp out the constant fouls that could have consequences on hopes of making it to a first major finals since 1958.

Yet Coleman reckons even the trips, kicks and shoves from Group B opponents won’t stop £85m man Bale roaring for his country as he did at the final whistle against Cyprus.

And despite knowing he needs to look after such a prized asset, he admitted he could never see Bale bemoaning fatigue when there’s a chance of pulling on a red shirt.

“I could not imagine him telling me he is too tired to play for Wales,” said Coleman. “He has never said that to me; none of the players have ever said to me that they are tired.

“We’ve had plenty of injuries but that’s not something I’ve ever experienced in this job.

“I don’t know the full story with Roy and Sterling, what the reasons are. But in terms of being too tired, I can only speak for my own bunch of players and I have never had to experience that.”

Sterling has been slammed by some fans and pundits following the revelation but defended by those who say he was right to stick to club guidelines of recovery with Hodgson copping flak for going public with the issue.

The simmering feud is in contrast to Wales’ current relationship with top-flight clubs. Having long suffered as clubs put pressure on players over their fitness, Gary Speed started a new relationship by modernising the Wales medical and sports science set-up to bring it into line with top Premier League standards.

Coleman has carried that on and maintained a healthy dialogue with clubs and has even travelled to Madrid to ensure the Bernabeu club realise Bale’s importance to his nation’s qualifying hopes, as well as ensuring the right amount of trust between the parties.

Gallery: Bale's passion for playing for Wales

It meant Bale played on despite a minor back niggle last week – though Coleman was at pains to stress he would not risk the 25-year-old nor any of his other stars.

Yet he reckons there’s just no stopping the former Southampton and Spurs sensation who is set to take on teammate Joe Allen in Champions League action this week, adding: “He played two games in four days and I think that is already his 16th game of the season for club and country. He has had a lot of football and in these game she has taken a real battering. But he is okay, he is a machine.

“You saw what it means to him to play for Wales the other night, just how it is with the others.

“And I would be surprised if he does not play for Real over the next few weeks because he just wants to play.

“Madrid may decide to rest him as he has had a lot of football and done plenty of travelling too. But physically, he has had a few kicks, we have no worries that he has any muscle problems, it’s just a few bumps and bruises.”

But, after seeing some of the brutal treatment dished out to Bale by Cyprus in particular, Coleman knows he needs help to carry on unharmed.

He said: “He has not had any protection so far.

“We are not asking for anything special but if he is getting kicked there is no use saying that is what happens because he is a great player. People have to be punished and that has not happened. It has been blatant. The attitude is that the nearest one to him has to stop him.

“But if it is stamped out on it sets the example that it is not acceptable and you cannot get away with it, that is all you have to do.

“If you keep letting it go players are going to go back for more, I don’t blame Bosnia or Cyprus for that. He is a target.”

Coleman will be hoping Bale is targeting to be in inspirational form again for his country when Wales head to Brussels next month for a mouth-watering clash with group favourites Belgium.

But even with Arsene Wenger claimed Aaron Ramsey will be back available for Arsenal in midweek, Coleman is not counting his chickens over a player he knows could be key to spring a shock at the King Baudouin Stadium.

He said: “The initial feedback was he would definitely not make these games and we would have to see how things developed.

“So we have to look at it and think that we are going to be without him, anything other than that is a bonus.

“He may not be ready, whether he plays a game or two for Arsenal I don’t know, but they may feel he needs to have a rest if he does that.

“In my head I am working on the basis we will not have him. “It is better to plan without him and then it is a bonus if he is here.”