Wales squad for Nations League opener

Wales Euro 2016 hero Hal Robson Kanu has been omitted from the squad to play the Republic of Ireland and Denmark in Nations League qualifiers having announced his retirement from international football.

The 29-year old West Brom forward made 44 appearances for Wales, scoring five goals, including two at the Euro 2016 finals. Most famously scoring Wales’ second goal in their stunning 3-1 win over Belgium in the quarter-finals.

Newcastle defender Paul Dummett is named in Ryan Giggs’ 25-man squad despite not having played for Wales since 2015 when he declared himself unavailable for selection. Dummett initially rejected Giggs’ invitation to join his first Wales squad at the China Cup in March, but earlier this month the 26-year-old indicated he would be willing to end his self-imposed international exile.

There is no place in Giggs’ squad for Aston Villa defender Neil Taylor, a regular under Chris Coleman and in Wales’ Euro 2016 campaign, scoring in the 3-0 win against Russia in France.

Wales squad (v Republic of Ireland and Denmark)
Goalkeepers:
 Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Danny Ward (Leicester City), Adam Davies (Barnsley)
Defenders: Chris Gunter (Reading), Connor Roberts (Swansea City), James Chester (Aston Villa), Ashley Williams (Stoke City), Chris Mepham (Brentford), Tom Lockyer (Bristol Rovers), Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Paul Dummett (Newcastle United), Declan John (Swansea City), Ethan Ampadu (Chelsea)
Midfielders:  Joe Allen (Stoke City), Matthew Smith (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Andy King (Swansea City), Joe Ledley (Derby County), Harry Wilson (Derby County), David Brooks (Bournemouth)
Strikers: Tom Lawrence (Derby County), Ben Woodburn (Liverpool), Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Sam Vokes (Burnley), Tyler Roberts (Leeds United)

Republic of Ireland (provisional squad v Wales and Poland)
Goalkeepers: Colin Doyle (Hearts), Sean McDermott (Kristiansund BK), Kieran O’Hara (Macclesfield Town), Darren Randolph (Middlesbrough)
Defenders: Seamus Coleman (Everton), Cyrus Christie (Fulham), Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Shane Duffy (Brighton & Hove Albion), Richard Keogh (Derby County), Ciaran Clark (Newcastle United), Kevin Long, Stephen Ward (Burnley), John Egan (Sheffield United), Enda Stevens (Sheffield United), Darragh Lenihan (Blackburn Rovers), Greg Cunningham (Cardiff City)
Midfielders: Alan Judge (Brentford), Jeff Hendrick (Burnley), Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Shaun Williams (Millwall), David Meyler (Reading), Harry Arter (Cardiff City), Daryl Horgan (Hibernian), Callum O’Dowda (Bristol City), James McClean (Stoke City)
Forwards: Jonathan Walters (Burnley), Shane Long (Southampton), Graham Burke, Callum Robinson (Preston North End), Aiden O’Brien (Millwall)

Wales’ Nations League Group Fixtures
WALES v IRELAND, Thursday 6 September, 19:45, Cardiff City Stadium
DENMARK v WALES, Sunday 9 September, 17:00, Ceres Park, Aarhus
IRELAND v WALES, Tuesday 16 October, 19:45, Aviva Stadium, Dublin
WALES v DENMARK, Friday 16 November, 19:45, Cardiff City Stadium