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, dealing Craig Bellamy an early and significant setback as his side step back into League A.

The Leeds United forward had been included in Bellamy’s squad for a demanding run of fixtures against Portugal, Denmark and Norway across September and October. Those plans have been jolted.

Leeds boss Daniel Farke confirmed on Friday that Wilson has suffered a quadriceps muscle injury which will keep 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 international, who has scored 17 times 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 may still want to run their own checks, but the alarm bells are already ringing. Wilson has been one of his country’s standout performers over the past 12 months, a consistent attacking threat in a side that badly needs his creativity and set-piece quality at the highest level of Nations League competition.

And the bad news does not stop there for Bellamy.

He is already without key defender Joe Rodon, Wilson’s club team-mate at Elland Road. Cardiff City’s defensive duo Dylan Lawlor and Ronan Kpakio are also sidelined. Higher up the pitch, Cardiff forwards Isaak Davies and Rubin Colwill are unavailable through injury, as is Wrexham attacker Nathan Broadhead.

A squad that was supposed to showcase Wales’ depth in a tough group is suddenly being stripped of experience and cutting edge.

The schedule offers no sympathy. Wales open away to Portugal on 24 September, the first of four games in an extended international window. A home clash with World Cup quarter-finalists Norway is wedged between two meetings with Denmark.

Wales sit 38th in the FIFA world rankings, their lowest position since August 2014. They head to Copenhagen to face a Denmark side ranked 21st, a reminder of the scale of the task even at full strength.

Norway, also World Cup quarter-finalists, visit Cardiff on 1 October, before Denmark return to the Welsh capital on 4 October to close out a gruelling block of fixtures.

Bellamy wanted this window to set the tone for Wales’ return to the top tier of the Nations League. Now he may have to do it without one of his most reliable match-winners.