Nations League: Iceland v Wales
Venue: Laugardalsvollur, Reykjavik Date: Friday, 11 October Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru; live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app
Wales head coach Craig Bellamy is not concerned about a lack of game time amongst the Premier League players he has to choose from as he prepares for a Nations League double-header.
First up is a trip to Iceland on 11 October, followed by a home game against Montenegro three days later at Cardiff City Stadium.
Of the 25-man squad named by Bellamy last week, nine are on the books of Premier League clubs but only Tottenham Hotspur winger Brennan Johnson and Nottingham Forest defender Neco Williams have enjoyed regular starts in the Premier League so far this season.
But Bellamy is relaxed with regards to the minutes on the pitch for his Premier League players, seeing a silver lining in a lack of fatigue, while he believes the Championship – where the majority of his squad ply their trade – is a strong competition.
“They [the Premier League players] are fresh,” said Bellamy. “It [the Championship] is the sixth highest intense league in the world… it goes above international football, the intensity of Championship football.
“So the exposure of what our football over on these shores prepares you for – especially the first two levels – prepares you really well for international football.
“If you’re a highly successful player then the games come thick and fast, but that just comes with success… it means you’re doing your craft really well.
“The Championship, as we’ve all known, I’ve been in it numerous years, the intensity and the games come thick and fast.”
One example is Fulham winger Harry Wilson, scorer of a spectacular goal in last month’s 2-1 Nations League win in Montenegro, but limited to just 36 minutes from three substitute appearances in the Premier League this campaign – although the 27-year-old started both his club’s EFL Cup matches.
He was again an unused substitute at Manchester City last weekend and has not played since 17 September.
“Would you want him to be playing week in week out for them? Of course you do,” Bellamy said.
“But I can only go off what I had with Harry then in the next two games [the draw against Turkey and the Montenegro win], he was brilliant, he was exceptional.
“So it means I don’t have to sit there on a weekend waiting for the physio to ‘phone me, telling me someone has picked up an injury in that game… so that’s a relief, no serious concerns.
“Of course you’d want them all playing but if they don’t, the work they do at their clubs for players who aren’t playing is really high level, they come to you in a really good condition as well.”