Wrexham are back in League One action on Saturday afternoon, facing off with Rotherham United.
From now until the end of the season, every game is a must-win for the Red Dragons if they are to guarantee automatic promotion.
Wrexham beat Huddersfield Town 1-0 earlier this week, ensuring they remain two points adrift of second place for the time being.
But Wycombe Wanderers are proving a tough nut to crack, and Phil Parkinson will be awarethat another loss in the club’s last 12 league fixtures this season could end up proving fatal to their battle for a place in the Championship next weekend.
Standing in their way this weekend is a Rotherham United side who have endured a mixed 2024/25 so far.
They have won their last two matches but will go into Saturday’s 3pm fixture sat 14th in League One after 34 matches.
The game will likely see Ollie Rathbone face off with his former side for the second time since his summer exit.
How Rotherham United reacted to Ollie Rathbone joining Wrexham
Wrexham signed Rathbone during August 2024 for what was, at the time, a club-record transfer.
The 28-year-old made 138 appearances for his former side, scoring eight goals and providing nine assists.
He spent a large chunk of 2023/24 wearing the captain’s armband, so the Englishman’s exit was obviously a big blow.
Speaking at the time, as per The Athletic, Rotherham manager Steve Evans admitted that it was indeed a blow to lose the player but he had made it clear he wanted the move.
Evans said: “Ollie made it clear that the move was something he wanted to pursue. Reluctantly, the board agreed and passed that detail to me.
“It’s a blow to lose any good player but it’s part and parcel of football.”
What Ollie Rathbone said about joining Wrexham
Rathbone has now cemented himself as a key figure at the Racecourse Ground, with his goals and work-rate proving especially crucially to the club’s form in recent months.
When signing for Wrexham, as per BBC Sport, the player claimed at the time that there was nowhere he’d rather sign.
He said: “I’m delighted. To have back-to-back promotions, the club is obviously doing something very right from the outside looking in.
“It’s going to be a long season but I’m hopeful that we’ll have another successful season. There’s nowhere I’d rather be signing.”
Seven months later, the player’s dad has claimed Rathbone loves life at Wrexham, and who can blame him given how well both he and the team have done in 2024/25 so far.