Aaron Ramsey will again be absent when Wales continue their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign against Austria and Georgia next week.
The Arsenal midfielder has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury during his club’s opening Premier League game last month.
And Ramsey, who was arguably Wales’ star performer during their memorable Euro 2016 campaign, has not been included in manager Chris Coleman’s squad for the Austria game in Vienna next Thursday, which is followed by a home match against Georgia three days later.
Coleman will also be without Ipswich’s on-loan midfielder Jonny Williams, who has only recently returned to light training following injury, but there is a recall for Wigan midfielder Shaun MacDonald.
Speaking of Ramsey’s omission, Coleman said: “We expected him to be fit and it is disappointing that he is not.
“It’s a huge disappointment that we are going to be without our best player for 30 per cent of this World Cup qualifying campaign.”
Wales began their Group D schedule with a 4-0 home victory over Moldova earlier this month.
Ramsey has not played since Arsenal’s opening Premier League match of the season against Liverpool and reports suggest his recovery has been slower than expected.
The 25-year-old midfielder was one of Coleman’s star performers in Wales’ run to the semi-finals of Euro 2016, but Arsenal refused to release him for his nation’s two forthcoming World Cup qualifiers.
And Coleman revealed his disappointment over the decision and expressed his doubts over the Gunners’ programme to get him back to fitness.
“It’s disappointing that he’s not fit when we expected him to be fit,” he said.
“He expected to be fit sooner as well so it’s disappointing for all of us. I know what Rambo’s [Ramsey’s] like – he’ll want to be on the pitch.
“But the players we’ve got, we’ve got total confidence in them and they know the drill. They know what’s required.
“He doesn’t belong to us, he’s Arsenal’s player and it’s their call, they pay his wages, and if that’s the decision they made it’s up to them.
“We don’t know exactly what he does every day at Arsenal. They’re a great club, but it’s disappointing to lose a player of his importance.
“You always look at their history in training, his loading, the games he’s played and you ask could that injury have been prevented?
“He’ll be gutted.”
Coleman revealed that Palace midfielder Williams, who is currently on loan at Ipswich Town, will also be missing the qualifiers.
“Jonny Williams is playing his first game this week,” he said.
“I spoke with Mick McCarthy in the week and we know he’s not ready to come with us yet unfortunately.”
Wales squad: Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Ward (Huddersfield), O F Williams (Inverness); Davies (Tottenham), Chester (Aston Villa), Collins (West Ham), Dummett (Newcastle), Gunter (Reading), Richards (Cardiff), Taylor (Swansea), A Williams (Everton); Allen (Stoke), Edwards (Wolves), Huws (Cardiff), King (Leicester), Lawrence (Leicester), Ledley (Crystal Palace), MacDonald (Wigan); Bale (Real Madrid), Church (Roda), Cotterill (Birmingham), Robson-Kanu (West Brom), Vokes (Burnley).
