Ben Davies’ lack of Tottenham appearances ‘not a problem’ – Wales boss Craig Bellamy

Wales are hoping Davies will be fit enough to play in the play-offs in March, as he aims to qualify for a second successive World Cup.

The former Swansea City player was impressive in Wales’ final win over Ukraine to secure their place in the previous edition of the competition in 2022.

He remains an influential figure, as he led his country in light of the continued absence due to injury of the main captain, Aaron Ramsey.

But Davies missed the final two group matches in Wales’ qualifiers after sustaining a hamstring injury in a home defeat to Belgium in October.

However, Bellamy is not worried, even if Davies does not play regularly again before March.

“We’ll handle it. No problem,” Bellamy added.

“What you should see now is that these boys are living this life. These boys are training and know how to manage themselves.

“Well, nothing will come close to the match [in terms of match fitness]But these boys are smart enough to know when they are playing indoor games, and the clubs are smart enough to know, because if teams train on a small, small, small scale, and go to a larger area, the risk of injury is higher. So they manage their training load and then we progress further.”

Davies has not suffered from injuries in the same way as former Arsenal midfielder Ramsey, who has struggled with fitness issues throughout his career.

But unless Davies leaves Tottenham in January or Ramsey, currently parted, finds a new club, their ability to play two games in quick succession in March could be a concern.

“If it’s Ben or Aaron, we have to deal with it,” Bellamy said. “That’s the simple fact that we need 30 different players.”

“I think I’ve used 32 players this season, and we have to do that because we have to constantly stay strong.

“Where we are ranked now in Europe, we really stand out for intensity and opportunity creation, so all our metrics have changed.

“Now we are in the top ten [for intensity] And with our identity, we have to stay there because I think that’s where we’re going to get the big results over the next couple of years.

“Unfortunately, we have a lot of players who cannot play two games in a row. How to manage the next situation will be difficult, but we will have to find a way to deal with it. That is why the best teams can qualify.”