(Credit: Imago)

Daniel Lewis

Mon 30 March 2026 17:10, UK

Leeds United winger Daniel James will be monitored closely by Craig Bellamy ahead of Wales’ friendly with Northern Ireland.

James scored for Wales in their 1-1 World Cup qualifying playoff defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday, which the Dragons went on to lose on penalties.

Wales’ hopes of reaching this summer’s tournament were therefore dashed in heartbreaking circumstances, with a dead-rubber clash with Norn Iron now to come on Tuesday.

James played 84 minutes of last week’s clash in Cardiff, which Bellamy has now confirmed was down to fitness reasons.

And it may well be that fitness concern James is not risked by Wales, which can only be good news for Daniel Farke ahead of Leeds’ clash with West Ham next weekend.

Daniel James’ minutes being managed

James’ strike to put Wales ahead was a thing of beauty and there is no doubt that Farke would have sat up and taken notice.

The 28-year-old has struggled for consistent minutes in the Premier League this season, starting just four times.

James suffered a hamstring injury in November and has started just once since then, coming in the FA Cup win over Norwich City earlier this month.

Providing a team news update on Monday ahead of Wales’ clash with Northern Ireland, Bellamy implied he will not take any unnecessary risks on James, who has also been struggling with illness.

“Dan James we have to check on because he’s had one game in four months leading into this – and he was ill leading into the camp,” Bellamy told reporters.

“So the output, he’d done more than what we thought he was going to be able to do.

“I’d have loved to have kept him on for 120 minutes [against Bosnia] with the way he was playing, all day long, but physically it wasn’t possible.

“He was cramping up and he needed to come off. So we’re really checking on him at the present moment.”

It sounds very much as though James will therefore be left out of Wales’ XI, with Farke no doubt very grateful for the way he has been managed.

Had it been a match with any sort of meaning, Bellamy’s stance would of course have been a lot different.

What about Leeds’ other Wales contingent?

James is one of four Wales players currently in the Wales camp, along with Karl Darlow, Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon.

Each of those players appeared to be present in training in Hensol on Monday afternoon, although Bellamy did not make clear if he planned to rotate his squad.

You would imagine the game will be used as a chance to use those who did not start against Bosnia, but at the same time the Wales boss will know the importance of not losing again.

A good scenario for Farke would be for each of those players to potentially get 45 minutes, which would ensure they are still in good shape come the West Ham tie next weekend.