Nations League 2022: Injury-hit Wales face daunting Belgium trip

Several important players will not be with Wales for their Nations League trip to Belgium.

Midfielders Joe Allen and Harry Wilson are among the injured.

Captain Bale has mostly been used as a substitute for LAFC this season.

After four games, the Netherlands are top of League A Group 4, followed by Belgium and Wales.

Wales will play Poland in their final match of the Nations League in three days time.

Wales have drawn one and lost three of their four games to date, with results not helped by manager Robert Page having to field largely second-string sides in two of those games as he prepared for what would turn out to be an historic World Cup play-off victory over Ukranian in

If Wales are to remain in the top tier of the Nations League, they will need to win at least one match.

Page has said he must take a longer-term view with the World Cup looming, while the temptation may be to put Bale in from the start.

Wales will play their first match at a World Cup finals in 64 years when they take on the United States on November 21st, followed by games against Belgium and Poland before heading to the World Cup finals.

It will be difficult to plan for these matches against quality opposition as Wales aim to keep their place in the top tier of the Nations League.

"We've got three or four key players out with Joe in the middle of the park, so you've got to get the balance right," said Page.

We want to stay in the division even though I won't risk anyone's health or injury at the World Cup.

We fought with one hand behind our back in the first couple of games because of the World Cup play-off final and unfortunately we are in the position we are in.

We have two games left to stay in the division. I would be proud of the players if we qualified for a World Cup and stayed in League A.

Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne and Real Madrid'sEden Hazard are two of the best players in the world.

Match facts

• Belgium have never lost a home match against Wales in seven previous meetings on home soil (four wins, three draws), winning 3-1 in the most recent game at Den Dreef in March 2021.
• Since beating Belgium 3-1 at Euro 2016, Wales are winless in three matches against the Red Devils, drawing two and losing one.
• Belgium have won four of their past 10 matches (three draws, three defeats), having won eight of their previous 10 (one draw, one defeat). Their previous three defeats before this run came across a sequence of 38 matches.
• Wales have lost three of their past five matches (one win, one draw), losing 3-2 to the Netherlands last time out. They have not lost consecutive games since June 2021 at the Euros finals against Italy and Denmark.
• Belgium are the leading scorers in the Nations League with 37 goals, scoring in every game. The Belgians have also conceded 23 goals, with the 60 goals in their matches the most of any nation.
• In their last 13 away matches, Wales have either kept a clean sheet (six times) or conceded at least twice (seven times), shipping 18 goals.
• Brennan Johnson has scored in his past two appearances for Wales - his first two international goals - although he has not ended on the winning side in either (one draw, one defeat).
• Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi has been involved in five goals in his last six appearances for Belgium (three goals, two assists), including an assist against Wales in June.