Cardiff City boss Brian Barry-Murphy has criticised the scheduling of Tuesday’s Welsh derby encounter with Newport County in the EFL Trophy (19:45 BST).
The Bluebirds will be without a host of players for the group stage game because it falls during an international window.
Dylan Lawlor, Ronan Kpakio, Isaak Davies and Joel and Rubin Colwill are with Wales for Thursday’s friendly against England and next Monday’s World Cup qualifier against Belgium in Cardiff.
Dakarai Mafico, Tanatswa Nyakuhwa and Luey Giles are away with the Wales Under-21 squad – as is Cian Ashford, though he is suspended for the Newport game anyway – while Alex Robertson has been called up by Australia for friendlies against Canada and the USA.
“It is a unique situation. I have a lot of experience of this competition and I have been a big advocate of the benefits of it,” Cardiff head coach Barry-Murphy said.
