Montenegro v Wales: Uefa to decide venue on possible venue switch

Earlier this month a spokesperson for European football’s governing body told BBC Sport Wales they were confident the game could go ahead at the original venue.

Reports in the Montenegrin media, external had showed the Podgorica National Stadium pitch to be dry and cratered in places, with large areas of grass missing.

The pitch was deemed unfit for a Uefa Conference League qualifier and Buducnost Podgorica’s fixture against CSKA Sofia was switched to the nearby DG Arena.

An FAW delegation have inspected the pitch and doubts remain about its suitability to host Montengro v Wales following Sunday’s inspection by Uefa officials.

On Monday Uefa visited the alternative venue in Niksic, which has never staged a senior international. There are concerns the 5,000-capacity stadium does not meet Uefa criteria for staging such matches.

A change of venue would pose logistical problems for the FAW and 700 Wales fans, many of whom have already booked accommodation in the capital.

Niksic is around 53 kilometres from Podgorica, with the journey taking about an hour by bus or train.

It is understood Uefa will not pursue other possible alternatives for hosting the fixture.

These include playing the game on neutral territory in neighbouring Albania or reversing the fixture with Wales hosting next month’s meeting and Craig Bellamy’s side travelling to Montenegro in October.

Wales start their Nations League campaign on Friday, 6 September with Turkey’s visit to Cardiff the first game for new boss Bellamy.