Phil Parkinson confirms Arthur Okonkwo injury as Wrexham replacement appears clear

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Wrexham have been hit with a major blow after goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo now set for a spell on the sidelines through injury.

Wrexham are back in League One action again this weekend as Phil Parkinson takes his side to face Stockport County.

The EFL Trophy took centre stage on Tuesday night as Wrexham secured a 1-1 draw against Port Vale.

Parkinson will now be preparing for a trip to Edgeley Park though though Stockport and Wrexham ready to lock horns again.

Unfortunately, one player who won’t be involved at all is goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.

The Wrexham stopper has suffered a broken wrist and will now miss a minimum of six weeks, serving as another blow after injuries to Will Boyle and Luke Bolton.

• READ MORE: Wrexham’s Arthur Okonkwo names one weakness he is desperate to ‘improve’ on

Phil Parkinson on Arthur Okonkwo and Callum Burton

Okonkwo wasn’t involved at all on Tuesday night but that didn’t particularly raise any alarms as nobody expected him to play anyway.

Parkinson has though confirmed that Okonkwo picked up a wrist problem against Mansfield Town last weekend and the scan has come back with problems.

Okonkwo’s 2024 may now be over and that serves as an enormous blow for Wrexham.

Jacob Mendy has praised Okonkwo as the best goalkeeper in League One and his absence will certainly be felt.

Summer signing Callum Burton is likely to be the man stepping up to take Okonkwo’s place and Parkinson suggests that he is ready to go.

Parkinson has told Wrexham’s official website that Burton is ‘ready and waiting’ just like veteran stopper Mark Howard.

Parkinson has pretty much given away that Burton will be starting though, highlighting that he was substituted against Port Vale in order to protect him ahead of facing Stockport County.

“Prior to the game, we had some bad news when we had to send Arthur Okonkwo for a scan after he damaged his wrist on Saturday. Unfortunately, he has broken his wrist and is going to be out for a minimum of six weeks,” said Parkinson.

“Our supporters may have found it a bit strange that we played both goalkeepers for 45 minutes on Tuesday night – that was pre-planned in terms of giving them both some gametime, but also to protect Callum a little bit as well. I feel for Arthur, he’s in good form, but we’ve got two experienced goalkeepers ready and waiting,” he added.

League One games Arthur Okonkwo could miss

If Okonkwo misses six weeks, that would take him to 26 December – Boxing Day.

Wrexham do have a game on Boxing Day, taking on Blackpool at the STōK Cae Ras.

Wrexham may be reluctant to throw Okonkwo straight back in though and Parkinson highlighted that it’s a minimum of six weeks, meaning his absence could be even longer.

With that in mind, Okonkwo could feasibly miss 10 League One games with this injury running up to New Year’s Day.

Callum Burton won’t be overawed

Burton will be asked to step up for Wrexham over the coming weeks and he shouldn’t be too overawed by the task at hand.

The 28-year-old has played at League One level before, racking up 18 appearances for Plymouth Argyle during the 2022-23 season.

Burton’s career has mostly seen him serve as a backup stopper but he has featured in League Two and League One, so at least has some experience under his belt.

Veteran Howard will offer valuable experience behind Burton but Parkinson will be comfortable going with Burton as his number one until Okonkwo returns.