Wales Faces Tough Challenge in Nations League with New Faces
Craig Bellamy has turned to youth and fresh faces as Wales step back into the deep end of the Nations League – but he will have to do it without his defensive linchpin against two of the deadliest forwards on the planet.
Cian Ashford, the sharp Cardiff City forward, has been handed his first senior call-up for a brutal run of fixtures that pits Wales against Portugal, Denmark and Norway in League A. The 21-year-old’s rise from Championship prospect to international squad member has been rapid; now he walks straight into a campaign that features Erling Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo on the other side of the halfway line.
The problem? Joe Rodon will not be there to help deal with them.
Rodon blow as defence stripped back
Wales’ first-choice centre-back has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, a major setback as Bellamy prepares for Portugal away on 24 September. Rodon’s usual partner, Dylan Lawlor, is also missing from the 28-man squad, still sidelined by a knee issue and yet to play this season. Another Cardiff defender, Ronan Kpakio, is out as well.
That leaves Bellamy reshaping his back line for the toughest level of Nations League football, just as Wales return to the top tier. The margins at this level are thin. Going into it without your main defensive axis makes them razor sharp.
One reassuring constant remains: Ben Davies.
The captain keeps his place after being named but unused in the summer friendlies. The 33-year-old has battled back from a serious ankle injury suffered with Tottenham in January, returned to club action, and now stands on the brink of his first Wales appearance since October 2025, when he reached 100 caps. His experience will have to carry a lot of weight in a patched-up defence.
Attacking options refreshed
At the other end of the pitch, Bellamy does at least get some firepower back.
Harry Wilson of Leeds United and Wolves midfielder Jordan James both return after missing June’s games against Ghana and Romania through injury. Swansea City defender Ben Cabango is also recalled, adding another option in a back line that badly needs depth.
There is a second chance too for Mark Harris and Liam Cullen, while Wes Burns – now at Leicester City – is back in the fold. The 10-cap winger could make his first Wales appearance since 2024, a reminder that Bellamy is not just gambling on youth; he is also leaning on players who know the international rhythm.
Ashford’s inclusion is the headline, though. His early-season form with Cardiff in the Championship has pushed him into contention, and he joins an attacking group that also features Liverpool youngster Lewis Koumas.
Not everyone in form gets the nod. Cardiff forwards Isaak Davies and Rubin Colwill are both unavailable through injury, and there is no place for midfielder Kai Andrews despite his eye-catching start at Aaron Ramsey’s Oxford United while on loan from Coventry City.
Haaland, Ronaldo and a brutal schedule
The schedule offers no time to settle.
Wales open away to Portugal on 24 September, the first of four games in an extended international window. Nations League holders, at home, likely with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the line under his former Saudi Pro League boss Jorge Jesus. It is a statement assignment.
Then comes Copenhagen and a meeting with Denmark, ranked 21st in the world. After that, Norway visit Cardiff on 1 October, World Cup quarter-finalists with Haaland as the obvious headline act, before Wales round off the block with a home game against Denmark on 4 October.
Four games. Three high-ranking opponents. Little room for error.
Wales sit 38th in the FIFA world rankings, their lowest position since August 2014. They have not beaten a top-20 side since that 2-1 win over Croatia in October 2023, and under Bellamy they are still waiting for a victory against a team ranked above them.
That wait will be tested hard over the next fortnight.
Bellamy’s crossroads
All of this unfolds against a backdrop of uncertainty around the manager himself.
These are Wales’ first matches since Bellamy came close to leaving his post after talks with Championship club Burnley. He stayed, but the ground beneath him has shifted. Two key members of his backroom team have gone: assistant Piet Cremers has taken a job in Belgium, while James Rowberry has stepped away to focus on his role as assistant manager at Stoke City.
Bellamy has moved quickly. Former Wales captain Ashley Williams joins the coaching staff, bringing leadership and defensive know-how, and ex-Swansea City boss Alan Sheehan also comes in. New voices, new ideas, just as the competitive pressure ramps up.
The timing is unforgiving. Wales have not won in four matches. Their last competitive outing ended in a penalty shoot-out defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina in March’s play-offs, a loss that cost them a place at the World Cup and left a scar that has not fully healed.
Now comes a return to the elite tier of the Nations League, a reshaped bench, a weakened defence, and a fresh generation being thrown into the fire.
Portugal, Denmark, Norway. Haaland and Ronaldo. A manager who almost walked, now backed by a new staff. A fanbase still waiting for a signature result under Bellamy.
If Wales are going to punch back up the rankings, this is where they start swinging.
