Wrexham are having very little luck on the injury front at present, with two key strikers currently sidelined.
Wrexham began the 2024/25 season searching for reinforcements up top and eventually got them when they broke their transfer record to sign Modou Faal from West Bromwich Albion for £590,000.
Faal has yet to truly cement himself as a key player for the Red Dragons, but he made his league debut when Wrexham drew 0-0 with Huddersfield Town on Tuesday.
The young forward is now expected to see a lot more playing time in the coming months following blows to Jack Marriott and Steven Fletcher.
After he missed the win over Rotherham United on Saturday, Phil Parkinson confirmed Marriott was injured and is expected to be out of action for around four months.
Marriott is the club’s topscorer in League One this term and his long-term absence is a big blow.
To make matters worse, on Tuesday night, Parkinson revealed Steven Fletcher is injured as well.
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Phil Parkinson already knows how to solve Wrexham striker problem
With said duo out, the Wrexham manager now has just Paul Mullin, Ollie Palmer and the aforementioned Faal to cover two positions going forward.
This is, of course, not enough and it is not surprising to see Wrexham now targeting the free-agent market.
However, while a free agent could be an option, Parkinson may already have an unorthodox solution to his striker woes.
Faal will obviously take up a bigger role in the coming weeks but Wrexham still need a fourth-choice centre-forward.
And while it is not ideal, James McClean has already proven he can do a job up front, performing fairly well in that position in a few pre-season games over the summer, including in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea.
The Irishman should still primarily be used at left-wing-back but if players are injured, need a rest, or pick up suspensions, Parkinson knows he can rely on McClean to start as a striker if and when it is required.
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James McClean change will allow Wrexham to unleash Sebestian Revan
An unexpected benefit of moving McClean into a striker role would be seeing summer addition Sebastian Revan handed more playing time.
The 21-year-old has featured in nine League One games this season but only started twice due to the form of Ryan Barnett and McClean.
Parkinson called Revan ‘special’ after their cup win over Salford City and he has shown enough in his limited outings to prove he can step up to replace McClean.
Again, this would not be in every match as Mullin and Palmer will be Wrexham’s primary forwards for now but if they ever need a rest and McClean is moved up front, Revan should be raring to go.