Wales Faces Triple Withdrawal Ahead of Nations League Campaign

Wales rocked by triple withdrawal on eve of Nations League campaign

Craig Bellamy’s first Nations League A campaign has been hit hard before a ball is even kicked, with Wales losing three key squad members in one swoop.

Harry Wilson, Nathan Broadhead and Karl Darlow have all withdrawn from the squad, forcing a reshuffle just days before a daunting opener away to Portugal.

Wilson, Wales’ creative heartbeat in recent windows and now at Leeds, had been a major doubt with a quad problem. The fears have been realised. He will play no part in the early stages of a group that already looked unforgiving.

Broadhead’s absence had been looming too. The Wrexham forward has been carrying a thigh issue and, as expected, has not been risked. His energy and movement between the lines had offered Bellamy a different attacking option; that card is now off the table.

The third blow is arguably the most jarring. Darlow, who only last week made his Manchester United debut in the EFL Cup and then sat on the bench for their Premier League draw with Fulham, has also pulled out. Bellamy loses his first-choice goalkeeper just as he seemed to be building rhythm at club level.

The response has been swift, if enforced. Leicester City veteran David Cornell comes in between the posts, still waiting for his first senior cap. Huddersfield Town forward Joe Taylor is also promoted, another uncapped option, adding rawness but also a touch of unpredictability to the forward line. Reading midfielder Charlie Savage is the third replacement, handed another chance to stake a claim in a rapidly evolving Wales midfield.

There is no gentle introduction to this campaign. Wales open against Portugal in Lisbon on Thursday, a trip that would have been testing even at full strength. Then comes Denmark in Copenhagen next Sunday, another heavyweight assignment on the road.

After that, the focus turns home. Norway visit Cardiff on Thursday, 1 October, before Denmark make the return trip to the Welsh capital three days later.

Bellamy’s plans have been shredded early. The fixtures have not.