Liverpool defender Owen Beck was unexpectedly ruled out of Wales U21s’ European Championship qualifier against Czechia due to an administrative mistake, just hours before the match.
Initially, Beck had been called up to the senior Wales squad for the October international break. However, a later decision was made for him and centre-back Rubin Colwill to join the U21s instead. Both were set to start on Friday in the important qualifier.
However, due to an oversight by the Welsh FA, six players were found ineligible for the U21 Euro qualifier. The issue arose because these players had not been registered for the previous U21 match against Iceland in September, making them unavailable for selection. The affected players included Beck, Colwill, Lewys Benjamin, Owen Hampson, Josh Farrell, and Ed Turns. This error left Wales U21 manager Matty Jones unable to field a full squad for the crucial game.
The shortage of available players was significant, with Jones unable to name substitutes for three squad spots. Additionally, there was no backup goalkeeper on the bench. Despite their efforts, Wales U21s suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Czechia, leaving their hopes of qualifying for the U21 European Championships in jeopardy.
Matty Jones, clearly frustrated by the administrative blunder, spoke out after the match. “There will be a review to get to the bottom of it and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Jones said, according to BBC Sport. He acknowledged the disruption caused by the mistake, admitting that the situation created “unnecessary noise” that affected both him and the players.
Despite the obvious frustration, Jones took a collective view of the situation, saying it was a “’we’ problem,” not just an individual error. Before kickoff, he had expressed optimism, hoping that his players could rise to the challenge and show their ability to adapt to the difficult circumstances. However, with the loss, Wales now find themselves in a precarious position. Their hopes of securing a playoff spot for the tournament rest on Lithuania taking points from Czechia in their next match.
For Beck, this has been yet another challenging chapter in recent weeks. The young defender, who is currently on loan at Blackburn Rovers, has been struggling for game time. He missed his club’s last three matches after being sent off in a goalless draw against Preston North End on September 22. During that game, Beck was involved in an incident where he was bitten on the back by Preston striker Milutin Osmajic. The bite earned Osmajic an eight-match ban, but Beck has since found himself sidelined.
In the lead-up to the international break, Beck’s only appearance came for Blackburn U21s in a 3-2 victory over Leicester City’s youth team on October 4. This brief outing marked his sole match action in three weeks. However, with the Wales U21s’ next match against Slovakia only a friendly, it is likely Beck will get some much-needed game time.
Despite these setbacks, Beck remains focused on making the most of the upcoming opportunity with the national team, while hoping to regain his place in Blackburn’s starting lineup upon his return to club duty. For now, both he and the Wales U21s will look ahead to their next fixture, with slim hopes still alive for a late qualification push.
Jones, while disappointed, is determined to ensure the administrative mistake is fully reviewed to prevent any future disruptions of this scale. As for Wales’ chances of progressing to the U21 European Championships, their fate now lies out of their hands, dependent on results elsewhere.
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