Harry Wilson Faces Injury Setback Ahead of Wales’ Nations League Campaign
Harry Wilson is facing a race against time to be fit for the start of Wales’ Nations League campaign, delivering an early blow to Craig Bellamy as he prepares for life back in League A.
The Leeds United forward had been named in Bellamy’s squad for a demanding run of fixtures against Portugal, Denmark and Norway across September and October. Those plans have been hit hard.
Leeds boss Daniel Farke confirmed on Friday that Wilson has suffered a quadriceps muscle injury which rules him out of Sunday’s Premier League game at home to Crystal Palace.
“Harry Wilson is out of this game, a quad injury, he reported some problems after the last game and also during this training week,” Farke said of the 69-cap forward, who has 17 goals for his country. “He will also probably miss the Welsh games, so definitely not good news for him and also not for the Welsh team.”
Wales’ medical staff are likely to want their own assessment, but the outlook is bleak. Wilson has been one of his country’s standout performers over the past 12 months, and losing him just as Wales step back up to the top tier of the Nations League strips Bellamy of a proven match-winner and set-piece threat.
The problems do not end there.
Bellamy is already without influential defender Joe Rodon, Wilson’s team-mate at Elland Road, while Cardiff City defensive duo Dylan Lawlor and Ronan Kpakio are also sidelined. Cardiff’s attacking options have been hit too, with forwards Isaak Davies and Rubin Colwill unavailable, and Wrexham attacker Nathan Broadhead also ruled out through injury.
It leaves Wales stretched as they head into a brutal schedule in this newly extended international window.
Upcoming Fixtures
Bellamy’s side open away to Portugal on 24 September, the first of four fixtures that will test both depth and resilience. After that, Wales face Denmark twice, with a home clash against World Cup quarter-finalists Norway wedged between those meetings with the Danes.
Wales sit 38th in the FIFA world rankings, their lowest position since August 2014, and now travel to Copenhagen to face a Denmark side ranked 21st. Norway, also World Cup quarter-finalists, then come to Cardiff on 1 October before Wales close the window by hosting Denmark on 4 October.
A return to League A was always going to be unforgiving. Stripped of Wilson and a growing list of key players, Bellamy now has to find out, quickly, how deep this Wales squad really is.
