Wales head into the final set of Nations League fixtures sitting third in their group, but the latest international window has laid bare the squad's lack of depth under manager Craig Bellamy, even after a morale-boosting win over Norway.
The expanded four-game format, introduced for this campaign, has proved a significant burden for a nation with limited resources compared to the continent's bigger sides. Bellamy had already voiced frustration with the scheduling before a ball was kicked, arguing that the structure favours wealthier footballing nations. Some of those countries, including Germany under Jurgen Klopp, were able to name two separate squads across the four fixtures - a luxury far beyond Wales' means.
The demands of travel and recovery between matches limited any real chance for Bellamy to work extensively with his players on the training ground, while the risk of losing key men to injury across a longer block of games materialised almost immediately. Harry Wilson and Joe Rodon were both ruled out before the window even began, and David Brooks, who has not started a league match all season for Bournemouth, was forced to withdraw partway through the camp.
Those absences left Bellamy with a shallower pool of options than usual, and it showed in Wales' narrow defeat by Denmark, which followed their win over Norway. Midfielder Jordan James admitted the team lacked its usual sharpness after a demanding few days. "I felt we were a little bit flat, not as intense as we wanted it to be," he said. "That was expected after a really tough game the other day."
Former Wales striker Iwan Roberts was blunter in his assessment of the squad's lack of firepower from the bench, pointing to the modest club pedigree of several substitutes. "I look at the players who came off the bench; Wes Burns plays in League One, Mark Harris plays in League One and Josh Sheehan has played for years in League One," he said. "That is the problem: when the starting 11 is not working, Craig Bellamy looks over his shoulder, and it's not nice to say, but he's looking at League One players to try to make the difference."
Roberts added that the absence of several first-choice players through injury during this camp further highlighted the gap in strength and depth that Wales must address. Dan James, who had scored and set up a goal in the win over Norway, did not feature against Denmark, while Kieffer Moore was introduced only late on with Wales already trailing.
Beyond results on the pitch, there were also signs of strain off it, with noticeably sparse crowds for the Denmark fixture. Despite hopes within the Football Association of Wales that the extra games would generate momentum and revenue, the cost and travel demands appear to have discouraged supporters from attending both matches.
The issue is unlikely to go away soon, as Euro 2028 qualifying will follow the same four-game format next September and October, meaning Wales will have to adapt to these logistical and squad-depth challenges on a more permanent basis.
For now, attention turns to the final two fixtures of this campaign, away to Norway and at home to Portugal in November. Wales currently sit third courtesy of head-to-head tie-breakers, with Bellamy having targeted that position from the outset as a route to avoiding relegation to League B and securing a better seeding for Euro 2028 qualifying. Historical data suggests Wales will likely need at least one more win, or a pair of draws, to cement third spot, while even a fourth-place finish may not prove costly given that only the two worst-ranked bottom teams face automatic relegation under the revised format.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.