Wrexham return to League One action on Tuesday night with Phil Parkinson taking his side to face Reading.
Here we go again – another midweek clash for Wrexham.
Phil Parkinson has taken on a busy schedule in 2025 with Wrexham often playing Saturday, midweek and Saturday again.
Last Tuesday night, Wrexham beat Huddersfield Town 1-0 before returning home to defeat Rotherham United 1-0 on Saturday.
Parkinson and co head back on the road this Tuesday night, travelling down to face Noel Hunt’s Reading side.
A win would see Wrexham leapfrog Wycombe Wanderers into second place ahead of facing the Chairboys this weekend.
Rob McElhenney blown away by one Wrexham star v Reading
Wrexham beat Reading 3-0 earlier this season, securing a comfortable win at the STōK Cae Ras.
Ruben Selles found it ‘difficult’ against Wrexham in that defeat but it’s Irishman Noel Hunt at the helm now.
Reading struggled to cope with Wrexham’s physicality in that 3-0 defeat and Ryan Barnett ran riot down the right flank.
Barnett crossed for Ollie Palmer to open the scoring before Elliot Lee turned home number two as Reading failed to clear Barnett’s cross into the box.
Rob McElhenney praised Barnett after the game, suggesting that his performance was pure ‘poetry’.
Reading will need to be ready for another physical battle and must be wary of Barnett running riot again.
Much of the attention will be on Wrexham’s January signing Sam Smith as he makes his first return to Reading since his January move.
Barnett can cause mayhem though and having torn Reading apart back in August, we can imagine that Reading will pay extra attention to his this time around.
READ MORE: How to watch Reading vs Wrexham as Phil Parkinson’s men hunt down second place
Ryan Barnett battling for Wrexham start
We say all of that but Barnett is not guaranteed a start against Reading.
That would have sounded crazy just a few months ago with Barnett praised as ‘top class’ by James McClean having caused problems for League One back lines.
Barnett has been in and out of the side recently though after Wrexham signed Ryan Longman during the January window.
Wrexham’s busy schedule may force Parkinson to freshen his side up and bring Barnett back in for Longman at right wing back.
Barnett was an unused substitute against Rotherham on Saturday and that may have been intentional, keeping him fresh to potentially terrorise Reading once again.