Wrexham are back in action on Tuesday night as Phil Parkinson prepares his side for EFL Trophy action against League Two side Port Vale.
Wrexham switched focus from cup disappointment to League One action on Saturday, beating Mansfield Town 1-0 at the STōK Cae Ras.
Rob McElhenney was relieved after a ‘tough’ Wrexham victory but this was the perfect response after losing 1-0 to Harrogate Town in the FA Cup.
Wrexham must now return to cup action as the EFL Trophy takes centre stage on Tuesday night with Wrexham facing Port Vale.
Wrexham are already through to the next round having beaten Salford City and Wolverhampton Wanderers Under-21’s.
This is effectively a dead rubber for Wrexham and Phil Parkinson seems ready to ring the changes in his Wrexham side.
Phil Parkinson has already dropped Wrexham lineup hint
Wrexham don’t exactly need to win on Tuesday night, but there is still something for Parkinson to play for against the Valiants.
The group winners receive home advantage in the knockout stages and Wrexham will be looking to ensure that particular bonus.
Parkinson has now spoken to BBC Sport about his team selection has already admitted that he is planning to change his entire lineup.
Parkinson vowed to ‘make 11 changes’ because Wrexham have already qualified, noting that some players need the playing time.
The Wrexham boss added that Parkinson will wants to win the game, highlighting the home advantage on offer.
“We’ll make 11 changes because we’ve already qualified and we’ll use the game to give some players much-needed game time, but we’ll prepare professionally for it and look to get a result,” said Parkinson.
“There’s home advantage in the next round for the winners which is important for us, so we’ll go there picking a team we’ll feel is right to win the game,” he added.
EFL Trophy rules point towards Jacob Mendy start
Parkinson will ring the changes but will be mindful of the EFL Trophy rules too.
Teams are required to play a minimum of four ‘qualifying outfield players’, with four different criteria making up that description.
A ‘qualifying outfield player’ is somebody who started the previous or following league game, a player who is in the top 10 for most appearances this season, a player with 40 or more first-team appearances in their career – including internationals – or a player on loan from a Premier League club.
Playing youngsters such as Aaron James, Josh Adam and Harry Ashfield will appeal but Wrexham do need to add some experience into the side due to those requirements.
Left wing back Jacob Mendy certainly fits the bill as a player who has played plenty of first-team games for club and even country.
Mendy has been hailed as ‘dangerous’ by Parkinson but started the season on the treatment table and is still looking to build up his fitness levels.
The 27-year-old has only managed 21 minutes of League One action this season but came off the bench against Mansfield Town on Saturday.
Mendy has praised Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds recently and has been a key part of the Wrexham rise in recent years.
The Gambian certainly needs more action though and Parkinson bringing him on against Mansfield may well be a nod towards him starting against Port Vale.
Sebastian Revan struggled against Harrogate Town and Mendy may now be ahead of him in the pecking order on the left side with an EFL Trophy start surely in mind.