Craig Bellamy believes Wales were disadvantaged by the new four-match international window after his injury-hit squad ended the Nations League break with a 1-0 defeat by Denmark.
Wales were unable to follow up Thursday’s victory over Norway, with Rasmus Hojlund’s second-half penalty settling Sunday’s match at Cardiff City Stadium. Denmark were the stronger side for much of the contest and handed Wales their third defeat in four matches across a demanding 10-day spell.
Bellamy has questioned the decision to combine the traditional September and October international periods into one extended window. Previously, national teams generally played two matches in each of three separate breaks during September, October and November.
The Wales head coach believes the revised format places smaller nations at a particular disadvantage because they do not have the same squad depth available to rotate players without significantly weakening their teams.
Injuries deepen Wales workload problems
Wales entered the international period already missing several important players. Karl Darlow, Joe Rodon, Dylan Lawlor and Harry Wilson were unavailable throughout the camp, while David Brooks withdrew after the opening defeat against Portugal.
Those absences reduced Bellamy’s options as the schedule progressed and increased the physical demands on the players who remained available.
Dan James was named among the substitutes against Denmark but was not considered fit enough to feature. Bellamy also admitted defender Ben Davies had probably been asked to play too much football during the window before being taken off late in Sunday’s game.
With four matches concentrated into such a short period, injuries also have a greater impact. A player unavailable at the beginning of the camp can potentially miss four internationals rather than the two fixtures normally played during a conventional break.
Bellamy believes countries with larger player pools can cope more comfortably because they are able to make extensive changes while maintaining similar quality and athleticism throughout their line-up.
Wales do not have the same luxury, leaving the squad increasingly stretched when injuries and fatigue accumulate.
Sunday’s defeat therefore brought a difficult extended international period to a disappointing conclusion. Although the victory over Norway provided a positive result during the camp, Wales finished the four-game run with three defeats and fresh concerns over whether the new scheduling system places excessive demands on nations with less depth.