Wales captain Aaron Ramsey will miss the Gary Speed Memorial friendly with Costa Rica on Wednesday as the Arsenal midfielder is out with an ankle injury. The 21-year-old went off in Arsenal's FA Cup defeat at Sunderland and missed their 5-2 win over Tottenham on Sunday.
Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy, who was a close friend of Speed, is favourite to replace Ramsey as captain for what will be an emotional fixture.
Birmingham goalkeeper Boaz Myhill (Achilles) is also a fitness doubt.
So Aberdeen keeper Jason Brown has been called up by Wales as cover.
Ramsey was appointed Wales captain by Speed in March 2011 and the Arsenal playmaker helped guide Wales from 113th in the world and into the top 50 as Speed's side won four of their last five games before the former Wales manager's death in November 2011.
Coleman was confirmed as successor to old friend Speed in January and he admits he "doesn't want to change too much" so has continued with young Ramsey as Wales skipper.
But Ramsey will miss Coleman's first game because of a "small ankle injury" that forced him off in the 53rd minute of Arsenal's 2-0 defeat at The Stadium of Light.
v Costa Rica (Cardiff, 29 February) v Mexico (New York, 27 May) v Bosnia-Herzegovina (home, 15 August) v Belgium (home, 7 September) v Serbia (away, 11 September v Scotland (home, 12 October) v Croatia (away, 16 October) Ramsey was initially named in Coleman's squad but the medical teams of Wales and Arsenal have ruled him out.And former Wales winger Mickey Thomas feels Bellamy is the "obvious candidate" to stand in for Ramsey.
"Of course he will be captain, there is no-one else," said Thomas.
Bellamy last skippered Wales in their Euro 2012 opening qualifying defeat in Montenegro in September 2010 before resigning from the Wales captaincy in December 2010
Bellamy, fifth in Wales' all-time top goal-scorer list with 19 goals, is in line to lead Wales in what could be the Cardiff-born player's 68th and final international in his home town.
The 32-year-old forward has said he is considering international retirement after but new Coleman has talked to Bellamy about extending his international career to the end of the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.
The match against Costa Rica will be the first that Coleman will be involved with as national boss, although Speed's assistant coach Osian Roberts will take charge of the team on the night.
Roberts was due to lead the team with Speed's other number two Raymond Verheijen until the Dutchman resigned last week - but he has confirmed he will be at the game after being invited by Speed's family.
"From a footballing viewpoint we've got to prepare," said Roberts.
"We haven't got a lot of time until September 7th against Belgium at home. It sounds a long way away but it's not, it's about 10 or 11 days of preparation for us.
"So the three days that we'll have together... we've got to squeeze everything out of that opportunity that we possibly can, and we can't stand still.
"It's a memorial match for Gary but he was the ultimate professional and he would not want us to be standing still and not getting things out of this game."
Coleman's squad also have a friendly against Mexico in New York booked for 27 May and another against Bosnia-Herzegovina at home on 15 August, and begin their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign at home to Belgium on 7 September.
Wales, who go into the game against Costa Rica have risen seven places to 42 in the latest Fifa rankings , recall Bolton full-back Sam Ricketts, who returns after a lengthy spell out through injury.
Wales squad (for Gary Speed Memorial Match against Costa Rica; 29 February, 1945 GMT; Cardiff City Stadium):
Wayne Hennessey (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Boaz Myhill (West Bromwich Albion; loan Birmingham City), Lewis Price (Crystal Palace), Darcy Blake (Cardiff City), James Collins (Aston Villa), Danny Gabbidon (Queens Park Rangers), Chris Gunter (Nottingham Forest), Adam Matthews (Celtic), Sam Ricketts (Bolton Wanderers), Neil Taylor (Swansea City), Ashley Williams (Swansea City), Joe Allen (Swansea City), Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Collison (West Ham United), Andrew Crofts (Norwich City), David Edwards (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Joe Ledley (Celtic), Hal Robson-Kanu (Reading), David Vaughan (Sunderland), Craig Bellamy (Liverpool), Robert Earnshaw (Cardiff City), Steve Morison (Norwich City), Sam Vokes (Wolverhampton Wanderers; loan Brighton & Hove Albion).
Stand-By: Danny Collins (Stoke City), Neal Eardley (Blackpool), Adam Henley (Blackburn Rovers), Craig Morgan (Preston North End), Ashley Richards (Swansea City), Rhoys Wiggins (Charlton Athletic), David Cotterill (Barnsley), Andy Dorman (Crystal Palace; loan Bristol Rovers), Brian Stock (Doncaster Rovers), Jermaine Easter (Crystal Palace), Ched Evans (Sheffield United).
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