Birmingham City midfielder Luke Harris has been withdrawn from Wales’ under-21 squad for their upcoming UEFA Under-21 Championship qualifier against Iceland.
The Jersey-born player has scored one goal in five appearances since joining the Blues on a season-long loan from Fulham. He had been called up to appear for his country but will now play no part for the Dragons, as confirmed by the Football Association of Wales (FAW). Harris is joined by Exeter City’s Pat Jones in being withdrawn, with their places taken by Cameron Congreve and Joel Colwill.
Due to his international call-up, the 19-year-old missed Birmingham’s 1-1 draw against Walsall on Tuesday. However, the midfielder played 52 minutes in Birmingham’s 2-1 victory over Wigan Athletic at the weekend before being substituted for match-winner Scott Wright.
He first gained widespread attention in February 2022 after scoring a hat-trick in just 11 minutes for Fulham’s under-23s against Newcastle United’s under-23s. His impressive form earned him a place in Fulham’s first team, and he made his debut in August 2022 during an EFL Cup match against Crawley Town. Harris made his Premier League debut as a substitute in Fulham’s 3–0 win over Aston Villa in October 2022.
In January 2024, Harris joined Exeter City on loan, where he featured 21 times in League One, scoring four goals.
The call-ups of Harris and Jones had earlier led to the postponement of Birmingham’s fixture with hsi former club, Exeter City, as the EFL allows matches to be rescheduled when three or more squad members are on international duty. Wales will now face Iceland without the two youngsters on Tuesday, 10th September.
Site Opinion
Is this a heart in mouth moment for Birmingham? If Harris is injured, it would be a blow, but given that their squad is deeper than the Grand Canyon, they’ll most likely manage.
Bear in mind, the reason for Harris’s withdrawal has not been disclosed by the Welsh FA, but they don’t play for 11 days, which gives him time to recover if it is an injury. Interestingly, his next domestic game could have a Welsh flavour – Wrexham are the opposition.
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