Rangers star earns international recall for Euro 2024 play-off as in-form Ibrox team-mate misses out

Winger drafted back into the international fold following injury but no call-up for in-form midfielder

Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo has been called up to the Wales squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 play-off. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo has been recalled to the Wales squad for their upcoming Euro 2024 play-off.

The 23-year-old has been included in a 28-man squad named by Wales head coach Rob Page ahead of the Path A play-off semi-final against Finland on March 21, with the winners at home against Estonia or Poland five days later to determine a place in Germany this summer.

Matondo has been capped 11 times by Wales but has not featured for his country since a Nations League game against the Netherlands back in June 2022. He was called up last September but was an unused substitute for the matches against South Korea and Latvia.

He then missed the October and November camps due to a knee injury picked up in a league win over Motherwell, and has only recently returned to the Rangers squad from another minor injury which kept him out for three weeks before appearing as a substitute in the 2-0 win over Hibs in the Scottish Cup on Sunday.

His latest return to fitness has come just in time to be brought back into the international fold as Wales seek to qualify for a third successive European Championship and fourth major tournament in five.

There is no call-up, however, for Rangers team-mate and fellow Welshman Tom Lawrence. The 30-year-old has been in good form of late after regaining fitness, netting in the recent win at Kilmarnock as well as scoring the opener against Benfica in the Europa League last 16 first leg in Lisbon last week.

Lawrence has not been capped since 2021 but there is still time for the attacking midfielder to stake a claim for Euro 2024 selection if Wales qualify.

Former Rangers midfielder Aaron Ramsey has been included despite not starting a match for six months. The 84-times capped Wales skipper suffered a knee injury in September and was out until February, making two substitute appearances for Cardiff before picking up a calf complaint.