Wrexham take on Barnsley in the New Year’s Day fixture looking to kick off 2025 with a bang, and Phil Parkinson has some big decisions to make.
The Red Dragons left it late to steal a win from Wigan Athletic on Sunday afternoon, but Wrexham need to go again just three days later, with a trip to Barnsley on the way.
Phil Parkinson praised Wrexham’s mentality after the win over Wigan, and the result saw the Welsh outfit jump back into the automatic promotion spots in League One.
While plenty of the Wrexham squad played poorly against Wigan, there were a couple of highlights, and Parkinson will need to mull over who to hand a start to for the next game.
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Wrexham team and injury news ahead of New Year’s Day clash
It’s more good news than bad for Wrexham right now, with the return of both Elliot Lee and Arthur Okonkwo to the matchday squad at the weekend.
Lee made it onto the pitch for the final 20 minutes, but Okonkwo, naturally, did not. However, having the number one goalkeeper back from his wrist injury is a huge lift for Wrexham.
Meanwhile, Callum Burton, Jack Marriott, and James Jones all remain out of action for now.
Okonkwo and Lee return to Wrexham’s starting XI
The main decision Phil Parkinson needs to contend with on Wednesday is whether to keep faith with Mark Howard in goal or bring Okonkwo back in. The answer would seem obvious after Howard’s shaky display versus Wigan.
Without Elliot Lee, Wrexham appeared to lack that spark of creativity in the middle of the park, and the talismanic midfielder surely has to return to the starting lineup immediately. The more defensive George Dobson could well be sacrificed for the added flair in attack.
Meanwhile, Steven Fletcher’s ‘immense’ display in the win over Wigan will surely have him in contention for a starting spot, but Parkinson is more likely to stick with the partnership of Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer in attack.
Fletcher is better-suited to being an impact sub for Wrexham, and Barnsley will certainly fear that the veteran striker could end up being the difference once again.