Wales Faces Tough Challenge in Nations League Without Joe Rodon
Craig Bellamy has turned to youth and improvisation as Wales step back into the deep end of the Nations League – and straight into a collision course with Erling Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo – without defensive linchpin Joe Rodon.
Rodon blow as Wales return to the elite
Wales are back in League A, grouped with Portugal, Denmark and Norway, but they will do it without their first-choice centre-back. Rodon has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, stripping Bellamy of his main organiser at the back just when he needs him most.
The problems do not end there. Dylan Lawlor, Rodon’s usual partner, is also absent from the 28-man squad as he continues to battle a knee problem and is yet to play this season. Cardiff defender Ronan Kpakio is missing too, leaving Bellamy to rebuild his defensive core on the fly.
At the other end of the pitch, there is at least a glimpse of something new.
Ashford’s chance in a brutal group
Cardiff City forward Cian Ashford has been handed his first senior call-up, a reward for an eye-catching start to the Championship campaign. The 21-year-old joins a refreshed attacking group that also features Liverpool prospect Lewis Koumas, as Bellamy leans into energy and fearlessness for a daunting run of fixtures.
Wales open away to current Nations League holders Portugal on 24 September, the first of four games in an extended international window. That trip is followed by a visit to Copenhagen to face Denmark, before a home date in Cardiff with World Cup quarter-finalists Norway on 1 October and a return clash with Denmark on 4 October.
It is a schedule that offers no hiding place. Not for a team ranked 38th in the world – their lowest position since August 2014 – and not for a manager still searching for a statement result.
Familiar faces return, captain back in the fold
Bellamy does at least welcome back some proven quality. Leeds United’s Harry Wilson and Wolves midfielder Jordan James return after missing June’s friendlies against Ghana and Romania through injury. Swansea City defender Ben Cabango is also back in the frame.
There are recalls for Mark Harris and Liam Cullen, while 10-cap winger Wes Burns, now at Leicester City, is back in contention for a first international appearance since 2024.
Captain Ben Davies keeps his place. The 33-year-old was named in the summer squad but did not feature as he worked his way back from a serious ankle injury suffered with Tottenham in January. He has since returned to action for Spurs and is now in line for his first Wales appearance since October 2025, when he reached 100 caps.
Not everyone in form has made the cut. Cardiff forwards Isaak Davies and Rubin Colwill are both sidelined by injury, and there is no place for midfielder Kai Andrews despite his impressive start at Aaron Ramsey’s Oxford United while on loan from Coventry City.
Ronaldo, Haaland and a manager under scrutiny
Wales’ opponents are yet to name their squads, but Ronaldo is expected to be selected for Portugal as they begin life under Jorge Jesus, his former coach in the Saudi Pro League. Norway will almost certainly build around Haaland. Denmark, ranked 21st in the world, bring their usual blend of structure and steel.
This would be a stern test for any settled side. Wales are anything but.
These are the first competitive fixtures since March’s penalty shoot-out defeat by Bosnia-Herzegovina in the World Cup play-offs, a night that cost Wales a place at the tournament and left a scar that has not fully healed. They have not won in their past four games. They have not beaten a team in the world’s top 20 since a 2-1 victory over Croatia in October 2023. Under Bellamy, they are still waiting for a win against a side ranked above them.
Now they must face three of them in quick succession.
New voices on the touchline
All of this unfolds against a backdrop of change around Bellamy himself. The 78-cap former striker recently came close to walking away from the job after talks with Championship club Burnley. He stayed, but his backroom has been stripped and rebuilt.
Assistant Piet Cremers has departed for a role in Belgium. James Rowberry has left the national set-up to focus on his club duties as assistant manager at Stoke City. In their place step former Wales captain Ashley Williams and ex-Swansea City boss Alan Sheehan, adding strong personalities and fresh ideas to a staff bracing for a difficult spell.
The task is clear and unforgiving. Wales, at their lowest ranking in a decade, must find a way to stand up to Ronaldo’s Portugal, a hardened Denmark and a Norway team hardened by a World Cup run – all while bedding in a new generation and a reshaped coaching team.
For Bellamy, and for debutant hopefuls like Cian Ashford, this is not just another international window. It feels like a line in the sand for what this Wales side wants to be in the post-World Cup era.
