Andrew Hughes and Ben Woodburn have missed out on the Wales squad again as their World Cup hopes seem to be fading.
The new season feels like it’s only just started but the attention is already turning towards the World Cup.
The international break comes up after this weekend and international managers are ultimately preparing for the big show in Qatar.
If you’re not in an international squad now, it’s hard to see how you get in before the World Cup.
That’s sadly the situation facing Preston duo Andrew Hughes and Ben Woodburn.
Wales boss Robert Page has announced his latest squad with Nations League games against Belgium and Poland coming up before the World Cup begins.
There is a place in the squad for 17-year-old Fulham talent Luke Harris, but not for Preston’s two Welsh stars.
Defender Hughes and playmaker Woodburn are both left out of the squad.
Woodburn burst onto the scene with a stunning goal on his Wales debut against Austria back in 2017, and now has 11 caps for his country.
However, Woodburn’s last cap came against Finland in September 2021, and he was on the bench against Belarus and Estonia in the following days.
Woodburn hasn’t returned to the Wales squad since and seemingly isn’t in Page’s plans ahead of the World Cup.
We can almost understand if Woodburn is out because of his recent injury but with a return expected very soon, he would have a chance to be available.
It looks like Page is going in a different direction now whilst Hughes’ exclusion continues to be utterly bizarre.
The 30-year-old has been absolutely outstanding for North End as a left-sided centre back, transition from playing as a left back perfectly.
Wales often play with a back three and Hughes can offer natural cover for Tottenham Hotspur’s Ben Davies as the left-sided centre back.
Yet despite being a former Wales youth international, Hughes has never been capped and this latest snub makes it very hard for him to break through.
It’s a shame for Hughes, who can claim to be playing at a higher, more consistent level than some players in the Wales squad yet continues to be overlooked.
Woodburn appears to have a better chance than Hughes at this point, but it currently looks like both players will miss out on the World Cup as things stand.