Nations League: Wales call up Fulham youngster Luke Harris for games with Belgium and Poland

Luke Harris has already impressed for Wales at under-18 level

Fulham's Luke Harris has been called into the Wales squad for the Nations League games against Belgium on 22 September and Poland three days later.

The 17-year-old attacking midfielder has only made one senior appearance for Fulham, in the EFL Cup this season.

But Harris has caught the eye of Wales manager Rob Page, who signed a new four-year contract this week.

Wales are without injured midfielders Aaron Ramsey and Harry Wilson, plus goalkeeper Adam Davies.

Bournemouth's David Brooks is also absent as the midfielder is still working his way back to full fitness after being diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2021, but was able to state in May that he is now cancer free.

Key forward Gareth Bale has played limited minutes in Major League Soccer since joining Los Angeles FC - making one start in nine games in a total of 253 minutes - but is expected to link up with the Wales squad, possibly after his club's game against Houston which, with the time difference, kicks off in the early hours of Monday, 19 September.

Although Harris' experience at senior level is limited, his record at age-group level is impressive.

The Jersey-born player debuted for Fulham Under-18s as a 15-year-old and last season established himself in the Premier League club's under-23s, scoring 13 goals in 17 league appearances.

"He (Harris) has been in the system now for a few years. He's a talent and an exciting prospect, he's doing really well at his club and he scores goals," Page said.

"When you have someone with that talent - albeit that he's just turned 17 years old - then I am not bothered about his age.

"I have shown that in the past with Rabbi (Matondo) and Joe Rodon and DJ (Dan James) and others I have worked with at under-21 level and the younger age groups.

"If I think they are good enough, they will come in and be part of the environment.

"For these two games, I think it's a great opportunity for him to come in and get a taste of it, to experience it, and for us to have a look at him. We can see what we have seen at club level."

Although Page says his squad for November's World Cup is almost set, he admits there are still opportunities for less-established players - including Harris - to earn a place on the plane to Qatar.

"I never say never - absolutely. I have pretty much got the squad in mind, of course. But the door is never closed. If someone is doing really well and I think it's going to benefit us, then he will be considered," he added.

Attention on Nations League

The two games against Belgium next Thursday, 22 September at the King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, and then Poland at the Cardiff City Stadium the following Sunday are Wales' last before the World Cup, although there will also be two training camps.

While these two games - against teams second and eighth in the Fifa world rankings - are a last opportunity for Page to hone his squad in a competitive environment before the World Cup, he is targeting enough points to keep them in the top tier of the Nations League.

Wales sit bottom of League A Group 4 with one draw from four games, although Page was forced to field weakened sides in two of those games as he prepared for the World Cup play-off against Ukraine - winning through to reach a World Cup finals for the first time since 1958 and just the second in the nation's history.

"We've got two games to prep before we go into the World Cup and then we've got two training sessions in November," Page said.

"There's not going to be any drastic changes to the squad, there's not going to be real surprises to the squad that I select for the World Cup.

"What I'm conscious of doing is showing loyalty to the squad of players who have got us there, and rightly so. We've got a tremendous group of senior players that have had one thing missing off their CV, and that is qualification to a World Cup.

"In the next two games is the opportunity to use them with one eye on the World Cup... but it's a shame we find ourselves in this position (bottom of the table) going into two Nations League games.

"We could only need one win to stay in the division but it shows the progression, we are playing against Belgium holding our own.

"We want to stay in the division, of course we do... we want to play against the best players and teams."

Wales squad:

Goalkeepers: Wayne Hennessey (Nottingham Forest), Danny Ward (Leicester City), Tom King (Salford City);

Defenders: Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest), Rhys Norrington-Davies (Sheffield United), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Ben Cabango (Swansea City), Joe Rodon (Rennes, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Chris Mepham (Bournemouth), Ethan Ampadu (Spezia, on loan from Chelsea), Chris Gunter (AFC Wimbledon), Connor Roberts (Burnley);

Midfielders: Sorba Thomas (Huddersfield Town), Joe Allen (Swansea City), Joe Morrell (Portsmouth), Dylan Levitt (Dundee United), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City), Jonny Williams (Swindon Town), Matthew Smith (Milton Keynes Dons);

Forwards: Wes Burns (Ipswich Town), Dan James (Fulham, on loan from Leeds United), Kieffer Moore (Bournemouth), Mark Harris (Cardiff City), Luke Harris (Fulham), Gareth Bale (Los Angeles FC), Brennan Johnson (Nottingham Forest), Rabbi Matondo (Rangers), Tyler Roberts (Queens Park Rangers, on loan from Leeds United).