Coronavirus: What will Euro 2020 postponement mean for Wales?

Wales must wait to make their third appearance at a major championship thanks to coronavirus.

Euro 2020 has been postponed until 2021, meaning headaches for football's administrators and difficulties for fans planning to travel to the tournament.

For the moment, football - like all sport - feels irrelevant because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ryan Giggs' players do not know for certain when their next club games will be, never mind when they will get the chance to pull on a Wales shirt.

But whenever the focus does return to football, how might the decision to reschedule the European Championship affect Giggs' squad?

Allen should feature after all

Joe Allen has been capped 56 times by Wales

After Joe Allen ruptured his Achilles earlier this month, Joe Rodon spoke for all of Welsh football when he described the news as "absolutely devastating".

Allen may play his club football in the Championship, but he is regarded by many as being as significant to the Welsh cause as Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey.

The Stoke City midfielder was ruled out of Euro 2020 due to what is a very serious injury, but the delay means he should feature after all.

"Gareth Bale is key because he is a match-winner, but I would put Joe and Aaron on a par in terms of the way the team plays and the formation," says former Wales international Brian Flynn.

"I go back to a game - and I remind Joe of this - against Slovakia with Wales Under-17s.

"We needed to win and he and Aaron were in midfield. He dragged Aaron along that day - he absolutely ran the game and Aaron was the hod-carrier for him.

"That is the way they are - they do it in tandem. That's why they are so important to Wales."

Ex-Wales defender Danny Gabbidon told the latest Elis James Feast of Football podcast that Allen is key for Giggs.

"I'd argue he is our most important player," he said. "If Bale doesn't play, we have still got some decent players in forward areas.

"But you look at the midfield area now and it's probably the weakest part of our team."

Allen showed his class at Euro 2016, when he was named in the team of the tournament.

"We don't have anybody else who does what he does," says ex-Wales striker Iwan Roberts.

'Experience will make youngsters better'

Allen is one of the senior figures Giggs will be glad to have around, but the Wales manager has shown plenty of faith in youngsters over the last couple of years.

The likes of Rodon, Chris Mepham, Ethan Ampadu and Daniel James may be well-established in Giggs' team, but they are all relatively inexperienced.

Neco Williams has played five times for Liverpool this season

Then there is Neco Williams, the teenage full-back who is yet to play for Wales at under-21 level, but looks a senior international star-in-waiting.

According to Nathan Blake, the Euro 2020 postponement is positive news for Wales' numerous young players.

"It can only be a good thing," the former Wales forward says.

"Wales have such a young team and another year of experience in any job will make you better at it.

"Ryan Giggs also gets more time to prepare. I think if you had offered him another six months to play four or five more friendlies and look at some more young talent to bring through, he would have snapped your hand off."

Flynn is better qualified than most to assess rising Welsh stars having spent eight years working with the nation's youth sides, and he is excited by Liverpool's Williams.

"It will be interesting to see if they let him out on loan because they have got an exceptional squad," he adds.

"But certainly, he has a very big future for Wales."

What next for the superstars?

Gareth Bale has scored only one Real Madrid goal since netting twice against Villarreal in early September

One way or another, this season has not been easy for either Bale or Ramsey.

Bale has made only 18 Real Madrid appearances - and scored just three goals - in 2019-20 after seeing a move to China collapse last summer.

Real coach Zinedine Zidane declared last August that he would "count on" Bale, but the ex-Tottenham player has hardly been a central figure.

There have been injury issues to contend with along with controversy over the 'Wales. Golf. Madrid.' flag Bale held with his international colleagues after securing Euro 2020 qualification.

Ramsey has made 24 appearances since joining Juventus last summer, although only 12 of those have been starts.

"The postponement (of Euro 2020) is going to be difficult for people that work in the football industry and for the fans who have spent money on tickets, hotels and travel," says BBC Wales pundit Roberts.

"But from a football point of view, it buys Bale and Ramsey time.

"Bale has a big summer in front of him. Will he move on? Does he think it's time for a fresh start?

"I think that would benefit him. I don't think he would want to go through another season where he is in and out of the team.

"Aaron is a bit different. It's his first season at a new club and he has made an impact when he has been given a chance, but he might have liked a few more chances.

"Hopefully he and Bale will have had plenty of football when the Euros eventually come around."

Aaron Ramsey joined Juventus on a free transfer in the summer of 2019 after 11 years at Arsenal

Brooks to come back

Bale and Ramsey are not the only ones who, ideally, Giggs would like to see getting more game-time.

Wayne Hennessey has played only four times for Crystal Palace this season, Connor Roberts has had to battle for his place at Swansea City of late and Bournemouth defender Mepham is in the midst of a significant injury lay-off.

Ben Davies has made just 13 Spurs appearances this term, while Ampadu has played only seven times for RB Leipzig.

There are a number of other Wales squad members, like Matt Smith, Tyler Roberts and Rabbi Matondo, plus more senior figures like Chris Gunter, Neil Taylor and Sam Vokes, who have not been regulars.

And then there is David Brooks, who has not played for Bournemouth since April 2019 having enjoyed a stellar breakthrough campaign in the Premier League.

"Brooks has been a big loss to Wales," says Blake.

"Before he got injured, he was just getting to the stage where I thought he was going to be a £60m or £70m player, and maybe join a Chelsea or an Arsenal.

"For him it's good news, and that's obviously good news for Wales."