Ethan Ampadu will captain Wales for the first time when they face Slovakia in a friendly in Trnava on Sunday.
Regular skipper Aaron Ramsey has not travelled with the squad for the match, while vice-captain Ben Davies is not fully fit having missed the end of Tottenham Hotspur’s season through injury.
Leeds United’s Ampadu, who can play in midfield or defence, has already amassed 51 caps despite being only 23 years old.
Manager Rob Page said after naming his squad for this month’s friendly matches against Gibraltar and Slovakia that Ampadu was in line to lead the team in at least one of the fixtures – and that he could be a permanent captain of Wales in the future.
Ampadu will be part of a more familiar looking line-up against Slovakia after an experimental and youthful Wales side were held to an embarrassing goalless draw by Gibraltar in Portugal on Thursday.
Some Wales fans booed Page and chanted for him to be sacked after that friendly fixture, the first time Gibraltar – ranked 203rd in the world and comprised largely of part-time players – had avoided defeat since 2022.
