Nathan Blake
Former Wales striker on BBC Radio Wales

It matters hugely to stay in League A of the Nations League. The better the opponent, the more you have to raise your standard.

The players want to stay there because they know the level of opponent can only make them better.

It's an understrength Wales that must beat Poland to avoid relegation from the top tier of the Nations League.

Wales are bottom of Group A4 having lost four of their five matches but will send Poland down if they avenge their 2-1 defeat in Wroclaw in June.

Robert Page's side must do so without injured players such as Ben Davies, Joe Allen, Aaron Ramsey and Harry Wilson.

Chris Mepham and Ethan Ampadu will also miss the match at Cardiff City Stadium because of suspension.

The absence of key players has been one of the overriding themes of Wales' first campaign at the highest level of the Nations League.

As well as having to cope with injuries and suspensions, Page had to field largely second-string sides in June as he prepared for a World Cup play-off victory over Ukraine which secured Wales' place in the tournament for the first time since 1958.

Wales have competed admirably considering those limitations, drawing against world number two-ranked Belgium during the summer and twice getting denied well-earned points against the Netherlands by goals in time added on.

"For our development as a nation, we've qualified for three major tournaments. We want to be playing the best teams in Europe and stay in the division, absolutely," said Page.

"We want to expose our young players to these types of players and teams. Inevitably they will become better going through those experiences.

"I keep saying it, because of the [World Cup play-off] final that we had between the two games had a massive impact on how the table looks.

"But we've given ourselves a fighting chance. We will be approaching this game to win and stay in this division."

Nathan Blake
Former Wales striker on BBC Radio Wales

I can understand why Kieffer Moore isn't starting. He will be disappointed to miss out but we never know what's been said in the dressing room.

It might be that Dan James needs a goal. I would probably have gone for Kieffer but it's down to the manager.

I was making a case for Chris Gunter [to go to the World Cup]. Ben Cabango and Gunter - who do we take? I think there's a case [that can be made] for both of them.

I went for the experience over youth.

Danny Gabbidon
Former Wales defender on BBC Radio Wales

This final game before the World Cup, Rob Page might want to look at one or two players - but generally I think he knows his World Cup squad.

I wouldn't expect to see too many surprises.

I know we had Rubin Colwill at the Euros, but that was unusual.

Wales football fans who partied in Brussels before Wales' game against Belgium and cleaned up the streets afterwards have been called an "example to follow".

About 2,500 fans travelled to the King Baudouin Stadium on Thursday.

Hundreds descended on the city centre, with some staying on to fill bin bags with discarded cans and bottles.

They were applauded by Brussels police and received a "hats off" message from the Belgian capital's mayor, Philippe Close.

A post from the official Brussels Police Twitter account said: "It is not uncommon to run into fans before the start of a Red Devils [Belgium] football match in the centre of Brussels.

"We would like to thank the fans of the opposing team for leaving the place as they found it: 'clean'."

Read more: Wales football fans praised for cleaning up in Brussels

Image source, Brussels Police

Wales manager Robert Page praised his side's character after that battling 2-1 defeat in Belgium midweek set up tonight's must-win game against Poland.

"This is the game we want to win on Sunday. It's a final," said Page.

"There's been lessons learnt here to take into the World Cup. I said to them in the changing room, we've asked for this.

"By qualifying for the World Cup, we're asking to compete against nations like Belgium, like Holland, and we've been in the games right up until the end. It speaks volumes about that group of players.

"It's the character of the players - they'll never give up. We've proved it time and time again against world-class opposition."

Read more: Page hails Wales character before must-win Poland game

Image source, Getty Images

Let's remind ourselves about Wales' game on Thursday shall we?

It was one of the more entertaining Nations League games Wales have played in, in recent memory.

Kevin De Bruyne was at his masterful best as Belgium withstood a spirited fightback from Wales.

De Bruyne casually stroked in the opening goal from the edge of the penalty area and hit the post with another shot from a similar distance, before crossing for Michy Batshuayi to tap in the home side's second.

Belgium's 2-0 half-time lead was no reflection of their avalanche of chances, but that advantage was cut in half when Kieffer Moore headed in from Brennan Johnson's beautifully flighted cross.

After Belgium had a penalty overturned by the video assistant referee as replays showed Joe Morrell had cleanly dispossessed De Bruyne, Wales pushed for an unlikely late equaliser but were thwarted by a home side who could not have envisaged such a nervy conclusion to a game they seemed destined to win at a canter.

You can read our man Dafydd Pritchard's match report on the handy link below.

Read more: Wales beaten by De Bruyne-inspired Belgium

Image source, Getty Images

• Wales are without a win in four games (one draw, three defeats) for the first time since June 2017 (a run of five draws).
• Wales are winless in their past two home games in all competitions (one draw, one defeat). Not since September 2013 under Chris Coleman have they gone three successive home fixtures without victory.
• Thursday's defeat in Belgium means Wales have lost consecutive games for the first time since June 2021, when they were beaten by Italy and Denmark at Euro 2020.
• Poland are winless in four matches since their opening Nations League victory over Wales in June.
• Wales have lost each of their past five games against Poland - only against England, Sweden (both six) and the Netherlands (10) do they currently have a longer losing streak against an opponent.
• Captain Robert Lewandowski is Poland's record scorer with 76 goals from 133 appearances.
• Since Robert Page took over as manager in November 2020, only Gareth Bale (seven) has scored more goals for Wales than Kieffer Moore (six).

Image source, Getty Images

Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales at Cardiff City Stadium

Poland make three changes from Thursday’s 2-0 home defeat against the Netherlands.

Bartosz Bereszynski, Szymon Zurkowski and Karol Swiderski come in for Przemyslaw Franowski, Karol Linetty and Sebastian Szymanski.

Barcelona captain Robert Lewandowski captains the team.

Poland: Szczesny; Bednarek, Glik, Kiwior; Bereszynski, Krychowiak, Zurkowski, Zalewski; Zielinski, Swiderski, Lewandowski.

Wales boss Rob Page said there would be "no surprises" on the Wales team sheet to face Poland tonight and he's been as good as his word - although there might have been a temptation to start with both Gareth Bale and Kieffer Moore up front after the Bournemouth striker's goal against Belgium midweek.

There is no doubt how seriously Wales are taking tonight's game, their last before a first World Cup appearance since 1958.

Dafydd Pritchard
BBC Sport Wales at Cardiff City Stadium

Wales make four changes from Thursday’s 2-1 defeat in Belgium and the headline news is that captain Gareth Bale starts.

The Los Angeles FC forward came on for the final half an hour in Brussels but starts a game for only the third time this season.

He comes in for Kieffer Moore, Dylan Levitt replaces Matt Smith and Joe Morrell and Ben Cabango come in for the suspended Ethan Ampadu and Chris Mepham.

Wales: Hennessey; Cabango, Rodon, Norrington-Davies; C. Roberts, Morrell, Levitt, N. Williams; Johnson, James, Bale.

Welcome to a pretty big night for both Wales and Poland.

For both nations, this is the last game they will play before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

For one of these nations, this is also the last game they will have for a while in the top tier of the Nations League, as relegation beckons.

The equation is simple, Wales need to win and Poland need to avoid defeat to secure their safety, so both Robert Page and Czeslaw Michniewicz are surely taking this game extremely seriously.

The Nations League has its detractors, but it has been kind to Wales and they will feel that focusing on qualifying for the World Cup has been to the detriment of this Nations League campaign.

They would love to secure a first win in Group A4 in their last game and secure their safety.

Anyway, this isn't an M. Night Shyamalan film, so I won't keep you in suspense... let's have a look at that team news.

Image source, Getty Images