Wales draft Aaron Collins after Kieffer Moore injury withdrawal
Wales have added uncapped MK Dons striker Aaron Collins to their Nations League squad after Kieffer Moore withdrew through injury, with Norway and Portugal next up for Craig Bellamy's side.
Wales have called up uncapped MK Dons striker Aaron Collins for their final Nations League Group A4 matches after Wrexham forward Kieffer Moore withdrew with an injury. Moore, who has 57 caps, came off during Wrexham's 1-1 Championship draw with Wolves on Saturday; Wales have not said what the injury is.
Collins, 29, has scored 17 goals in 16 games in all competitions for the League One club this season, including four in one match against Doncaster last month. Newport-born, he is a former Newport County player who has represented 10 clubs, mostly in the lower leagues, since leaving Rodney Parade for Wolves in 2016.
He joins Craig Bellamy's squad for the concluding group games away to Norway in Oslo on Saturday and at home to Portugal the following Tuesday. Bellamy is still without midfielder Jordan James but has Leeds pair Harry Wilson and Joe Rodon back, along with Cardiff playmaker Rubin Colwill.
Wales sit third in Group A4, with their only win in four matches coming against Norway in Cardiff last month. A top-two finish would send them to the Nations League quarter-finals in March 2027; third place would mean a relegation play-off against a League B team, while finishing bottom would bring either a relegation play-off or direct relegation depending on the ranking against other League A groups.
Moore's absence removes an experienced forward option, and supporters will be watching to see whether Collins's prolific club form can translate to the international stage. His scoring record is a verified fact; whether it makes up for Moore's loss is a matter of opinion.
Wales could still finish second, third or fourth, so the two remaining fixtures will decide both their quarter-final hopes and their top-tier status.
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