Wales have announced their 26-man squad for their first World Cup appearance since 1958; Joe Allen has not played for Swansea City since September due to a hamstring injury but he has been included; Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo misses out.
Joe Allen has been included in Wales’ 26-man World Cup squad, having proven his fitness ahead of the tournament in Qatar.
Allen, with 72 caps, has been part of so much of Wales’ success stories of the recent past but a hamstring injury has kept him out of contention for Swansea City since mid-September.
Head coach Rob Page has named the 32-year-old among his list of midfielders, with Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey both unsurprisingly included despite relatively little game-time this season.
Wales’ 26-man World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey (Nottingham Forest), Danny Ward (Leicester City), Adam Davies (Sheffield United).
Defenders: Ben Davies (Tottenham) Ben Cabango (Swansea City), Tom Lockyer (Luton Town), Joe Rodon (Rennes, on loan from Tottenham), Chris Mepham (Bournemouth), Ethan Ampadu (Spezia, on loan from Chelsea), Chris Gunter (AFC Wimbledon), Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest), Connor Roberts (Burnley).
Midfielders: Sorba Thomas (Huddersfield), Joe Allen (Swansea City), Matthew Smith (MK Dons), Dylan Levitt (Dundee Utd), Harry Wilson (Fulham), Joe Morrell (Portsmouth), Jonny Williams (Swindon Town), Aaron Ramsey (Nice), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City).
Forwards: Gareth Bale (Los Angeles FC), Kieffer Moore (Bournemouth), Mark Harris (Cardiff City), Brennan Johnson (Nottingham Forest), Dan James (Fulham, on loan from Leeds).
Bale has only played 327 minutes for Los Angeles FC since his move to Major League Soccer in July, but he scored in the MLS Cup penalty shoot-out success last weekend against Philadelphia Union.
“I’m not really bothered how fit Gareth Bale is. He’s come off the back of scoring a really important goal for LA, he’s back in the country and he’s fit.
“Every time he turns up for us he’s always delivered, so I have no worries whatsoever. With Joe Allen, we’re going to throw everything at him to give him the best opportunity of getting in the first game.
“He’s been involved with Wales for years and he’s really important to how we want to play.”
Ramsey scored on his debut for Nice in August but has since only made six starts for the Ligue 1 club.
Elsewhere, Sheffield United goalkeeper Adam Davies has only received three caps but is included again having been the third-choice stopper behind Danny Ward and Wayne Hennessey at the delayed Euro 2020 Championships.
Page admits leaving Rhys Norrington-Davies and Tyler Roberts out of his World Cup squad were two of the toughest decisions he had to make.
Norrington-Davies’ absence has been enforced by a hamstring injury, while Roberts has just one goal in 12 Championship appearances for QPR this season.
“I had to speak to Rhys Norrington-Davies and he was devastated because this injury that’s put him out is quite a long-term one, so I’ve just been there to support him,” Page added.
“He’s going to miss out but that was taken out of my hands. Tyler was probably a little bit touch and go, he’s doing his best to get back.
“Tyler was a difficult one because I know how much it means to him and he’s a great lad.”
Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo misses out having failed to score in 17 appearances in Scotland since his summer move from Schalke.
Page explained why he chose to leave out Matondo, saying: “It’s been a frustrating time for him. I think he was playing his best football when he was in Belgium.
“If he’d have been playing week in, week out, scoring goals and creating chances like he was in Belgium then it would have been a really difficult decision for me.”
Wales’ only previous World Cup finals appearance was in Sweden in 1958, where they lost to Brazil in the quarter-finals.
Wales’ first game in Qatar will take place on Monday November 21 against USA at 7pm UK time on the second day of the tournament at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan.
The same venue will host Wales’ second group game against Iran on Friday November 25 at 10am as well as the final group match against England on Tuesday November 29 at 7pm.
The knock-out stage begins on Saturday December 3.