Wrexham withstood the difficult conditions brought by Storm Darragh to beat Burton Albion in League One, but Phil Parkinson had some difficult news to deliver in the aftermath.
The Red Dragons’ 1-0 win over Burton was even more remarkable given that third-choice goalkeeper, Mark Howard, was between the sticks on a blustery day at the Pirelli Stadium.
Arthur Okonkwo broke his wrist in November, leaving backup choice Callum Burton to deputise in recent weeks. He had been impressing in goal, but Burton was injured against Barnsley, leaving Howard the only available replacement.
Howard was confident ahead of facing Burton due to Wrexham’s commanding defence and looked a comfortable deputy throughout, making one save and doing his best with his distribution in conditions that did not suit a long kick from the keeper.
Despite Howard’s solid performance, Wrexham fans will be hoping to see either Burton or Okonkwo back soon, but the latest update from Parkinson after Saturday’s match was far from promising.
Callum Burton suffered ‘very bad’ torn thigh says Parkinson
Burton was sent for a scan after Barnsley after Wrexham’s medical staff suspected an issue with his thigh, but Parkinson’s update today is far worse than they could’ve predicted.
Speaking to Richard Sutcliffe, he said: “Very bad news, [I’m] so disappointed for him. He’s torn the thigh. It could be the season [over] for him.”
This is hugely disappointing for Burton, who had taken his opportunity at first-team football in his stride in the wake of Okonkwo’s injury.
Burton impressed Wrexham fans against Stockport in his first game as a starter and was pivotal as the Red Dragons went on to win consecutive games with him in goal.
Wrexham fans will now have to anxiously await the return of Okonkwo to replace Howard in goal, but Parkinson’s update on their number one was also a disappointing one.
Arthur Okonkwo is ‘way off’ from returning for Wrexham
Continuing his conversation with Sutcliffe, Parkinson gave a concerning update on the fitness of Okonkwo, saying: “Arthur is quite a way off yet, he will see a specialist before Christmas.”
Given that Okonkwo was expected to be out for a minimum of six weeks, news of a specialist at this stage of his recovery is particularly worrying, indicating that Howard is likely to keep his position in goal well into the new year.
If the specialist report comes back bad for Okonkwo, the Wrexham squad will have to be strengthened to cover the loss of Burton and the former Arsenal man.
Wrexham could return to Marko Marosi as one of the available options in January but regardless of who they target, there is no doubt that Wrexham will need stronger depth in goal to ensure that their League One promotion push is maintained.