Phil Parkinson had to make some difficult decisions when selecting his Championship squad.
Despite Wrexham moving on 20 players over the summer, Phil Parkinson still had an inflated squad on his hands.
In League One, goalkeepers did not need to be registered, meaning there was more room for the Dragons to select outfield players.
However, Championship squad rules are different, with a maximum of 25 players aged 21 or above, including keepers, eligible to be registered to play in the league.
It was confirmed earlier this month that Wrexham had named a 24-man squad, with four players left out.
They were Andy Cannon, Jay Rodriguez, Ollie Rathbone and Danny Ward.
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Ollie Rathbone to make Wrexham return
At present, Parkinson has room to add one of those aforementioned names to the squad.
It looks as though Rathbone will be chosen to fill the final spot.
Parkinson said on the midfielder recently: “We need Ollie back, he’s a key player for us. He was instrumental for us last year. He’s a player who has played in the Championship; first year did well, second one was a difficult one at Rotherham because they had a very weak squad.
“But he’s played at this level and when he signed for us, he was determined to get back into the Championship… His energy and his quality, I can’t wait to get Ollie back out with us.”
That means Rodriguez, Cannon and Ward will not be able to play a league fixture until at least January 1.
Every player, whether they are named in the Championship squad or not, can feature during transfer windows.
But until then, the trio will have to watch on from the sidelines.
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Jay Rodriguez to earn six figures without playing in Championship
Rodriguez joined Wrexham from Burnley on a free transfer during the 2025 winter window.
He, along with Sam Smith, arrived as the Dragons looked to improve their struggling striker ranks and push for League One promotion.
Rodriguez and Smith started every league match after they signed, but the former is now unable to play in the Championship.
From the start of the 2025/26 season to January 1, 2026, there are 20 weeks and five days.
Capology report that Rodriguez is earning £25,000-a-week at Wrexham, meaning he will earn £500,000 before he is even given the chance to play in the Championship this term.