Phil Parkinson has supplied an injury update on three of his key Wrexham stars ahead of their clash against Salford City in the EFL Trophy.
Wrexham have made an unbelievable start to life in League One, leading the way in the division after five matches.
The Reds latest victory came against local rivals Shrewsbury Town on Saturday as Phil Parkinson’s men extended their tally to 13 points from a possible 15 available.
Several players came under the spotlight for praise, as wing-back Ryan Barnett made himself undroppable with his performance, while Jack Marriott scored his third goal of the campaign.
With their unbeaten record still intact and plenty of their stars shining in the third tier, there is plenty to be excited about as a Wrexham supporter, although one negative is an injury update Parkinson supplied.
Phil Parkinson shares update on key Wrexham trio ahead of Salford City
On Tuesday night, Wrexham will kick off their EFL Trophy campaign with a home clash against Salford City at the Racecourse Ground.
The Reds have been placed in a group consisting of Wolves under-21’s, Port Vale and Salford, with Parkinson’s side expecting to get off to a winning start.
The Wrexham boss will make wholesale changes for the match as he aims to give his key first-team players a rest, although some of those alterations will be enforced.
Parkinson revealed that captain James McClean played with an injection in his foot in Saturday’s win and ‘needs a period of rest’ while midfielder Elliot Lee’s knock is ‘nothing serious’ but he does need to see a specialist.
An update was also shared on Andy Cannon – who was left out of the squad completely after starting the first four – but any worries were eased by claiming he was only suffering from slight fatigue.
Speaking to The Leader, Parkinson said: “James [McClean] played with an injection in his foot on Saturday. “He didn’t train all week. He had a nasty blow to his foot so he needs to have some period of rest.
“Elliot [Lee] has got to see a specialist. Nothing serious but we need to clear something up with him.
“There’s a few we need to patch up but equally, it’s a great opportunity for people to get some minutes.”
“Andy’s not serious,” the Reds boss continued. “He had a fitness test on Saturday but we have got some good players, a lot of options, and there was no need to risk him.
“He has got a slight problem when he gets fatigue which is causing his hamstring to tighten up but we can manage his workload and I am expecting him to be back for next week.”
The players likely to start for Wrexham vs Salford
Parkinson has hinted at making wholesale changes for the EFL Trophy clash and this could see talisman Paul Mullin make a start alongside new signing Modou Faal.
Elsewhere, Will Boyle, Dan Scarr and Lewis Brunt should start at centre-back with Sebastian Revan at left wing-back and Luke Bolton at right wing-back.
They’ll play ahead of Callum Burton – who should replace Arthur Okonkwo – while James Jones should earn a rare start in midfield.
At times like these, Parkinson will be thankful for his large squad, as rotating his starting XI is no issue given the wealth of options available to him.