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Build-up to England v Wales friendly (Thurs, 19: 45 BST) as our reporters who cover England and Wales take your questions Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins set to start in Harry Kane's absence and Declan Rice set to captain - England squad Dafydd Pritchard's answers on: What it would mean to win | Winning friendlies | fringe players for a friendly? | Bellamy's boxing analogy | Strong line-up from Bellamy Phil Mc Nulty's answers on: World Cup squad | Wharton's omission | Tuchel's 'fringe players' | Kane's absence | 'No problem with not picking Bellingham' | Why is Henderson involved? Alex Howell's answers on: England's World Cup prospects | Playing elite opposition in friendlies Wales boss Craig Bellamy says England have a 'ridiculous squad, like France' despite the likes of Jude Bellingham, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden not involved - Wales' squad Next week, both nations are back in World Cup qualifiers - Wales face Belgium on Monday before England go to Latvia Written by Alex Fletcher, Alastair Telfer & Josh Lobley. Q&A with Phil, Alex and Dafydd Phil Mc Nulty BBC Sport chief football writer James: Is the whole Bellingham thing just blown out of

proportion? Why risk him in a friendly and a routine game against Latvia?

Didn't we always moan at other managers for picking players when not fit e. g.

Rooney, Beckham. Phil: Hello, James. I totally agree with that. I have no problem at all

with Tuchel not picking Bellingham, even though the player wanted to be in the

squad. He had started only one game for Real Madrid following shoulder

surgery when the squad was named, so Tuchel had every reason to maintain his

squad pretty much as it was after the 5-0 win in Serbia. I was covering England when we had all the “golden generation”

stuff. Sven-Goran Eriksson was in thrall to his star names. They should have

won major tournaments but there was something missing, a spirit, a team ethic.

Tuchel is trying to foster that and Jude Bellingham will be in England’s World Cup squad. Q&A with Phil, Alex and Dafydd Dafydd Pritchard BBC Sport Wales at Wembley Stadium Gavin: With such a gap between the sides both from a squad point of view and in the rankings, what will Wales be looking to get out of tonight's game given they have a crucial tie against Belgium next week? Dafydd: As

far as Bellamy and Wales' players are concerned, they're going to Wembley to

win. As you suggest, though, the gulf in quality between them is vast. So if

not the result, what else can Wales take out of it? I've been asking Bellamy

the same question lately, and he says he wants to expose his players -

particularly the younger ones or those who don’t play in the Premier League -

to a standard of opponent they may not have encountered before. He wants to see

how they can adapt to that step up in class, as that is the challenge that will

face them in big qualifiers like Monday's against Belgium and at major

tournaments. That is why Bellamy named such an experimental line-up for last

month's friendly defeat against Canada. England of course represent a much tougher

assignment and I think Bellamy will pick a stronger line-up at Wembley with

that in mind. Q&A with Phil, Alex and Dafydd Phil Mc Nulty BBC Sport chief football writer David: Do you think the England squad looks the weakest

picked for years? Phil: I can’t say I regard it as the weakest, no. Tuchel has clearly

gone heavy on loyalty this time after the win in Belgrade and there is still

plenty of quality in the squad if and when everyone is fit, which of course is

always the big imponderable months out from a major tournament. There is still a lot for Tuchel to settle on, but let’s not forget

he is formulating his plans not finalising them. The squad for the World Cup is

what matters. England v Wales (19: 45 BST) It may only be a friendly tonight, but England have their sights firmly set on securing qualification for next year's World Cup during this international break. The requirements for England to take their spot in the United States, Canada and Mexico is complicated slightly by the fact that one of the chasers in Group K - Serbia - has played a game less. England could go into their clash against Latvia knowing a win would secure qualification. In order for that to be the case, Serbia would have to drop points against Albania when the two sides meet in Belgrade on 11 October. Should Serbia navigate their match against Albania, that would put increased significance on their trip to Wembley on 13 November. England top the group with a perfect record and are yet to concede a goal, so it very much feels like a matter of when, not if, they qualify for the expanded tournament. Q&A with Phil, Alex and Dafydd Phil Mc Nulty BBC Sport chief football writer Colin: What is it about Wharton that Tuchel appears not to

like? Phil: Hi, Colin. Can I say right away that, in my opinion, I think Adam

Wharton is outstanding, should be in the squad and should be a contender for a

starting place. I do not think for one moment Tuchel does not like him. I do not

think it is anything personal at all. Wharton said Tuchel took time to contact him, explained that this

time he was going with those players who served him so well in the last

international camp and he is still part of his thinking. Having said all that, I think it would be a major error – all

things being equal between now and the time the World Cup squad was selected –

if Adam Wharton was not in it. Adam Wharton was labelled the "best player on the pitch" by Jack Grealish after Everton beat Crystal Palace on Sunday. And his omission from the latest squad has caused plenty of discussion. Here's his pass map at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Q&A with Phil, Alex and Dafydd Dafydd Pritchard BBC Sport Wales Paul: As an Englishman, can someone explain how such a dislikeable player like Bellamy is so likeable as a manager? All of a sudden, I'm rooting for Wales to win football matches, and qualify for major tournaments. Dafydd: There

are long and short ways of answering this one. Firstly, can I shamelessly plug an atricle I wrote with my colleague Chris Wathan this week that deals with this very subject? If

you're after a more concise summary, I'd say Bellamy still has the intensity

and fiery determination he had as a player but he’s learned to control

those attributes. Bellamy himself has spoken impressively about his own

evolution from a combustible, controversial player to a coach who thinks deeply

about football and life in general. You can tell he's had to work hard at

understanding himself and the way his mind works. I don't think he’s mellowed out

completely though. He's still strong-willed and opinionated, and that means

he's great fun to work with from a journalist’s point of view. Q&A with Phil, Alex and Dafydd Phil Mc Nulty BBC Sport chief football writer Adrian: Hi Phil. Adam Wharton is one of the Premier League players of the season so far, he has been excellent for the last month or so. What does he have to do to get into an England squad that Jordan Henderson is in? Hello, Adrian. I totally agree that he has been one of the Premier League players of the season and, having seen him run the show against Liverpool at Selhurst Park, I was really surprised he was not in the latest England squad. He revealed he had a text from head coach Thomas Tuchel explaining that he thought he was doing well but wanted to stick with the same squad this time. It can’t be too long before he is in, though. He is simply too good to be left out for much longer. England v Wales (19: 45 BST) With England regulars at major tournaments, and Wales looking to qualify for just their second World Cup since 1958, it's hardly surprising that there is a contrast between the two squads. Wales squad of 26: England squad of 24: There are just nine top-flight players in the Welsh squad, with all of the England players currently playing for a club in one of Europe's top five leagues. Q&A with Phil, Alex and Dafydd Dafydd Pritchard BBC Sport Wales Alec: As a Welsh man, I think it's stupid that we're playing a friendly before having a very important qualifier. If you were Bellamy or Tuchel would you play your fringe players to give them extra experience? Dafydd: You're not the only

Wales fan who'd rather not play this game but, unfortunately, they have to play

a friendly of some sort when their World Cup qualifying group rivals are all in

action. One positive is that Wales play tonight and Belgium face North Macedonia

tomorrow night, so Wales will have an extra day to recover. I think Bellamy

will go fairly strong as he really wants to win and some players need the

minutes but, whatever the match situation, he'll be making plenty of

substitutions in the second half to protect players for Monday. England have

such an enviably vast pool of players that Tuchel could field a fourth or fifth

string that could qualify for major tournaments. With Latvia up next, I'd

imagine he'll mix and match in both. England v Wales (19: 45 BST) Craig Bellamy was appointed Wales head coach last summer

following the sacking of predecessor and former team-mate Rob Page. Bellamy, who narrowly missed out to Ryan Giggs for the job

in 2018, took his first steps in coaching with Cardiff City's academy before

serving as assistant manager to former Manchester City team-mate Vincent

Kompany at Anderlecht and then Burnley -

where he also briefly acted as stand-in head coach prior to Scott Parker’s

appointment. The 46-year-old has made an immediate impact in his first

coaching role at the highest level, winning six and drawing four of his 12

games at the helm so far. The former Newcastle, Celtic, Manchester City and Liverpool

striker has guided Wales to joint second in their World Cup qualifying group

and while they've lost two of their last three matches, one of those defeats

came in dramatic fashion after Wales scored three goals in Belgium only to fall

to a last-gasp Kevin de Bruyne winner. Q&A with Phil, Alex and Dafydd Dafydd Pritchard BBC Sport Wales Liam: From a Wales perspective, I've been hearing that scheduling this friendly may not be a good idea as a defeat would cost points in the Fifa rankings which is used to determine the pots in the play-off draw. Should friendlies just be about winning games and climbing up the rankings? Dafydd: Wales

had to play a friendly as it’s a World Cup qualifying matchday but they're the

odd ones out this time in their five-team group without a game. A defeat would

have a negative effect on Wales' ranking - and potentially their play-off

ranking - but, on the other (more optimistic) side of things, winning such a

game would boost the rankings. Winning a competitive game, such as Monday's

qualifier against Belgium, would have a bigger impact on their ranking. Either

way, Craig Bellamy wants to use these friendlies to test his players and his own

coaching skills against some of the best teams in the world, so they're better

prepared for major tournaments and big qualifiers. England v Wales (19: 45 BST) England and Wales face each other for the 105th time. Wales have a historically poor away record in this

fixture, losing 18 of 25 games since 1937. Their solitary win during that period was a first

Wembley triumph in 1977 courtesy of a Leighton James penalty. Wales have won just one game against England in almost 90 years England v Wales (19: 45 BST) This video can not be played England 0-1 Wales: The day in 1977 when Leighton James' penalty won it at Wembley Wales have not won against England at Wembley since 1977 when a Leighton James penalty sealed a famous 1-0 win. The last encounter between the two nations saw England victorious with a 3-0 win at the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar. "I haven't looked at it that way [but I'm] beyond proud, " Wales boss Craig Bellamy said. "And of course when that anthem goes and you're like, 'this is so good'. "Let's be the best versions, but most importantly enjoy it and for myself to enjoy it. "We see England's strengths, we see their weaknesses, and for us, it's history we're always aware of and always respectful of, but to us, it's game by game. " England v Wales (19: 45 BST) This video can not be played Wembley record “in the back of our minds” says Wales captain Davies Wales defender Ben Davies, speaking to the media: "We're playing against a top 10 nation in the world, a very good team. "Ultimately we want to test ourselves against the best teams to be ready for when we play another very good team [Belgium] on Monday night. "As a squad, we've worked hard this week, we've looked at the qualities that these teams have and feel like we're as prepared as we can be. "So we want to come out here, show our identity, show what we can do and what we've done against other teams and hopefully have a good performance. " Q&A with Phil, Alex and Dafydd Phil Mc Nulty BBC Sport chief football writer Paul: What is behind Tuchel's thinking in leaving out Foden, Grealish and Bellingham from his latest England squad? Do you think he is still experimenting with his fringe players, with a view to bringing them back into the fold closer to the World Cup, or is it curtains for them? Hello, Paul. I think he made it clear that he wanted to stick with the bulk of the squad that delivered the best performance of his reign in beating Serbia 5-0 in Belgrade. I certainly do not think it is curtains for his fringe players, but Tuchel is obviously not someone who will just bring back the big names because they are available. He has shown loyalty. Jude Bellingham will be in England’s World Cup squad, I am certain of that. Phil Foden has a good chance as well, but he has work to do because there is heavy competition now. Of the three names you mention, I think there is every chance Bellingham and Foden will go. Jack Grealish has been outstanding at Everton and Tuchel is a fan, but there are a lot of options in the wide positions so I'm not so sure about him. England v Wales (19: 45 BST) It's almost a year since Thomas Tuchel was announced as the England manager, a role which he didn't begin until January this year. But what have his results been so far? *all matches World Cup qualifiers unless stated So far under Tuchel, England have a pretty good record, with five wins from his six games in charge and only conceded in one game. However, they have faced just one team inside the top 20 of the Fifa world rankings - and that ended in a 3-1 defeat against Senegal at the City Ground in June. Their performance in Belgrade during the last international break showed signs that Tuchel has started to get his ideas across, as they eased through their most difficult test of the qualifying campaign. England v Wales (19: 45 BST) England England head coach Thomas Tuchel: "We will arrive as underdogs in the World Cup because we haven't won it for decades, and we will play against teams who have repeatedly won it during that time, so we need to arrive as a team otherwise we have no chance. " England v Wales (19: 45 BST) This video can not be played Thomas Tuchel on Jude Bellingham's omission from the England squad Thomas Tuchel said last week that he has "no problem" with Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden or Jack Grealish after the trio were left out of his latest England squad Bellingham has failed to earn a recall despite returning from a shoulder injury, while Foden and Grealish also miss out despite returning to form with Manchester City and Everton. England boss Tuchel said Bellingham had wanted to be included in the squad, having spoken to the 22-year-old on the phone. Speaking to BBC Sport, Tuchel said: "This is the decision, if they like it or not. They know my appreciation, they know I clearly see and observe how good Phil is at the moment for Manchester City. "Jack knows that I see how influential he is for Everton and is on the way to being the best version of himself. Jude knows he is a special player. He knows that I know he is a special player. " England v Wales (19: 45 BST) Matthew Hobbs BBC Sport Wales have altered their style of play under Craig Bellamy When comparing Robert Page’s final 12 games in charge with Craig

Bellamy's opening 12 as Wales head coach, one clear change has been a tactical switch

to focus more on possession and controlling matches with the ball. Under Page, Wales' high-energy approach was based on pressing aggressively off the ball, particularly in

wide areas, predominantly using a fluid 3-4-3 formation to attack directly. Bellamy has so far exclusively used a

back four, encouraging his players to get on the ball and build attacks in a more prosaic manner. The change in approach has resulted in a far higher average

amount of possession, a higher tally of passes and a slight reduction in how

often they turn the ball over high up the pitch. Wales also boast a higher expected goals tally under Bellamy. Will Bellamy's tactics give Wales a greater chance of

beating England? Thumbs up for yes, down for no. Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.