Spurs coach Antonio Conte sent in a stark report on Joe Rodon’s performance against Austria.
The centre-back, 24, is very low at Spurs but Conte praised his efforts when the Dragons reached the World Cup final.
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Wales coach Robert Page said: “I know Antonio Conte was watching last Thursday.
“He was very complimentary for Joe’s performance, and rightly so. I thought it was cool.
“To back down from not playing at club level, Joe deserves a tremendous amount of credit for this level of performance.
“It shows he took care of himself.
“If you’re going to be a Tottenham player, you have to be fit at the moment. I really know that.”
But Conte will be less excited by the news that Wales and Tottenham teammate Rodon Ben Davies have a thigh problem.
Before Wales hosts the Czech Republic in a friendly match this evening, the defender returned to his club with a tight leg after playing 90 minutes against the Austrian national team.
Page added: “He’s been playing a lot of football lately and I think it’s just common sense.
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“I don’t see any point in risking him at all. It’s not good to bring him back to Tottenham injured.
“It’s a precaution – he’s not injured. We show them respect by getting him back in fitness and health in their play.”
An impressive double from captain Gareth Bale against Austria helped Wales close to qualifying for their first World Cup since 1958.
The Welshman will face the winners of the as-yet-to-be-played semi-final between Scotland and Ukraine for a place at Qatar 2022.
