Wales boss Rob Page has admitted he is ‘concerned’ Joe Allen will not be fit for the Qatar World Cup. The Swansea City midfielder has suffered a setback in his recovery from injury.
Allen has been sidelined since September 17 after suffering a hamstring injury as the Jacks beat Hull City 3-0. The issue forced the 32-year-old off after half an hour during his eighth appearance of the Championship term since returning to the club from Stoke City for free.
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It further meant he missed Wales’ final UEFA Nations League matches against Belgium and Poland last month. Cymru are not in action again before they travel to Qatar for the World Cup. Page’s squad will face the United States of America, Iran and England during Group B.
Wales boss Page admits Allen’s injury setback is a concern ahead of the World Cup
Page is now worried Allen might not be fit for the World Cup after the Swansea and Wales star suffered a setback in his recovery from injury. Wales Online, whilst quoting the Cymru boss, notes the 72-cap star may not play in the Championship before the league is paused.
“He’s key to us in how we play and he’s key to the success that we’ve had,” Page said. “So, I get everybody’s concern. I can’t do any more than say he’s had a little bit of a setback and we’re doing everything in our power to make sure he gets on that plane.
“I think there’s a strong probability that he will be on the plane. With regards to his fitness and how many minutes he’ll have played before that or training sessions, I don’t know. That’s my only concern with that one.”
Allen would more than merit a seat on the plane to Qatar if he is fit
Initial scans suggested Allen would return from his injury before the end of October and be fit for Wales’ World Cup campaign. But the Swansea star visited a specialist in London this week for further checks. It is now unclear when the midfielder will return to training in full.
Swansea sent the Carmarthen native to undergo for further tests after suffering a setback in his recovery. He could still yet make Page’s Wales plans for the World Cup, though, with FIFA increasing the limit on squad sizes to 26, with a minimum of 23, for the 2022 edition.
Allen would more than merit his seat on the plane to the Middle East. He played a key role in Wales’ qualification with nine appearances, including both play-off fixtures, from 10 ties. The 32-year-old’s defensive awareness was also vital during the play-off final with Ukraine.
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