What will surely prove to be one of the Dragons' tougher fixtures will likely be even trickier because of those injuries.
Ronaldo's international swansong
The last time that Wales played in this particular tournament, they ended up with a solitary point from their six matches, and they couldn't have begun this edition against a more formidable opponent.
Bellamy, who has been linked with managerial opportunities elsewhere, can at least still count on captain Ben Davies, who'll need all of his experience to be able to contain effervescent 41-year-old captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
In what's likely to be his swansong in international football, the Portuguese icon will want to bow out on a high, in a competition that his country has already won twice in the four editions played since 2018/19.
With nine wins and a draw from their last 10 home matches, the Selecao das Quinas are huge favourites to win this match, and given Ronaldo is only 21 goals away from reaching an astonishing 1,000 official goals, it's a foregone conclusion that he'll be trying his utmost to add to his current 979-goal tally.
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Jorge Jesus' debut as Portugal coach
It's the first game for manager Jorge Jesus, in what is also his first foray into international management and his 21st separate managerial appointment.
The 72-year-old, who, like Ronaldo, shows no signs of slowing down, has recently managed the striker at Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, so both parties will understand exactly what's expected of the other.
They, and the likes of Vitinha, Joao Cancelo, Joao Felix, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Neves et al., will be looking to extend Wales' poor recent form, which has seen them win only two of their last eight away matches - against Liechtenstein and Kazakhstan.
No wins in the current calendar year either (D2, L2) bring Wales' task into even sharper focus.
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No wins for Wales in this fixture since 1951
The two teams have met on four previous occasions, but this fixture will be just the second in competitive matches. Bellamy was in the Welsh squad the last time they played Portugal in the 2016 European Championship semi-finals, a game in which Ronaldo scored along with Nani, to help their side to a convincing 2-0 victory.
Of the four previous encounters, Wales have lost three and won one, with their only victory coming in a friendly way back in May 1951. That game was also the only one to date that has been played in Wales.
Recent draws against Northern Ireland and Ghana and a 2-1 defeat to Romania will hardly inspire confidence amongst the Welsh fraternity that a shock will be on the cards at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, and it's therefore no real surprise at just how much of a favourite Portugal are for this one.
Bellamy will look to Welsh stalwarts Davies, Daniel James, David Brooks and Brennan Johnson to make life difficult for their opponents, whilst David Cornell, Joe Taylor and Charlie Savage have also been called up.
UEFA Nations League
The UEFA Nations League 2026/27 is contested by the national teams of 54 of UEFA's member associations. They're divided into four leagues based on the rankings of the previous edition, with Leagues A, B, and C featuring sixteen teams each, divided into four groups of four, while League D features six teams divided into two groups of three. It begins in September 2026, with the finals in June 2027.
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A real David vs Goliath match-up
Where Portugal will look to keep control of the ball in midfield thanks to the excellence of Fernandes and Vitinha, Wales will look to utilise the pace of James and Johnson to get in behind the full-backs as Cancelo, for example, attempts to maraud forward.
What could be termed a David v Goliath fixture at this level should still be an eminently watchable fixture, because Bellamy's personal pride won't allow him to accept a below-par performance from his players.
If the visitors do end up losing the fixture, the very least that their manager will expect is that the Welsh have left every last drop of effort out on the pitch.
Should Portugal be complacent, too, there's no telling what could happen...
Jason Pettigrove has been the features writer for Flashscore since 2025, utilising Opta data to form the basis of his articles. He has previously worked for high-profile football clubs, news and media outlets, both in print and digital, and can usually be found watching FC Barcelona when time permits. You can read more of his pieces here.
