England Squad Strength Called 'Absurd' - Welsh Boss Craig Bellamy

• Published 60 minutes ago

International friendly: England v Wales

Venue: Wembley Stadium, London Date: Thursday, 9 October Kick-off: 19:45 BST

The Wales head coach says the English squad depth is remarkable that a boxing promoter wouldn't match them against the Welsh team.

Bellamy's men face England in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday before their crucial qualifying match against Belgium next Monday.

England manager Thomas Tuchel has omitted the likes of Jude Bellingham, Foden and Grealish from his selection for the Wales friendly and their qualifying game against the Latvian team.

"England have a incredible squad, like the French," the coach said.

"England have a transfer market value of 1.4 billion pounds, Wales' is 170 million. Were you a boxing promoter, you would not match us up. It wouldn't be allowed."

Bellamy explains ensuring Wales can compete with the talented opponents is a "key motivation".

The Wales head coach continued: "Our team do not rely on values, but the reality is they have more than a single lineup. They possess multiple and the French and others are similarly stacked. England have loads of great players and that's the honest truth."

"A defender was ruled out with injury the other day and there's only two dozen others to choose from! They've got over sixty footballers. I'd love us to be stacked like them."

These two nations last faced each other at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, when the English ran out easy victors in a fixture before the previous England team reached the last eight.

Southgate's successor is Tuchel, a Champions League and Fifa Club World Cup champion at the London club who has claimed domestic titles in Ligue 1 and his home country.

The Welsh boss was formerly an assistant at the Belgian side and Burnley to Kompany, who replaced Tuchel at Bayern Munich.

"He's an outstanding coach - his achievements is proven," he added.

"I possess some sort of insight because the club he left I am familiar with people who have joined. I gain a bit of an insight there of how he works and it's remarkable. "

"His strategic planning is elite and I aimed to be facing such a challenge - observe how you're going to adapt because he adapts too. I can learn from it. I'd love to get to that level."

Goalkeepers: Darlow (Leeds United), Adam Davies (Sheffield United), King (the Toffees).

Defenders: Cabango (Swansea), Jay Dasilva (Coventry), B. Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Ronan Kpakio (Cardiff), Dylan Lawlor (Cardiff City), Mepham (West Brom), Rodon (Leeds United), Williams (Nottingham Forest).

Midfielders: Ampadu (Leeds), Brooks (the Cherries), J. James (Leicester - on loan from Stade Rennais), Josh Sheehan (Bolton), Sorba Thomas (Stoke), Harry Wilson (the Cottagers), J. Colwill (Cardiff City), R. Colwill (Cardiff City).

Attackers: Nathan Broadhead (Wrexham), Liam Cullen (Swansea City), Harris (Oxford), Koumas (Birmingham - loaned by the Reds), Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieffer Moore (Wrexham), Isaak Davies (Cardiff).