Wales manager Ryan Giggs has challenged his side to "prove people wrong" by beating the Republic of Ireland without Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey.

Tuesday's Nations League match will be Wales' first competitive fixture without their two leading players since Ramsey's debut in 2008.

Wales will also be aiming to win only a fourth competitive match without Bale since his debut in 2006.

"We have to stop that record," said Giggs.

"Prove people wrong if that's the case. Make that record just a bit better.

"Any team's going to miss a player like Gareth but we have to [cope]. It's happened in the past and it's going to happen in the future, when we have to cope without our best players.

"I will give players chances, no matter what age they are. Then it's up to them to take it.

"We've still got players who can make things happen."

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Bale has returned to his club side Real Madrid because of muscle fatigue in his leg, though the forward is expected to be fit for Real's match against Levante on Saturday.

Ramsey, meanwhile, is unavailable for the trip to Dublin as he is with his wife Colleen after she gave birth to twins over the weekend.

Although Wales have not played a competitive match in which both he and Bale have been missing since 2007, they have used friendly fixtures in recent years to give younger players experience.

The last time they took to the field without the influential duo was last year's friendly with Panama, in which burgeoning talents such as Ethan Ampadu, David Brooks and Ben Woodburn earned first senior starts for Wales.

Teenage midfielder Ampadu is injured for Tuesday's encounter with the Republic, having produced a man-of-the-match display in September's corresponding fixture.

Brooks is another to have impressed in recent games, and the Bournemouth playmaker has been tipped to shine in Bale's absence.

"It's not just about the young players - the experienced players have to help them through," said Giggs.

"There are times when you have to tough it out.

"It's going to be different from Thursday [the 4-1 friendly loss to Spain]. It will be tough.

"We're away from home and I'm looking forward to seeing how the young players cope because it will be a challenge.

"We're going to have to earn our victory, without a shadow of a doubt."