Phil Parkinson has just dropped an encouraging update that Wrexham fans will love ahead of this afternoon’s clash against Grimsby Town.
Wrexham are firmly in the mix for automatic promotion out of League Two.
Despite dropping four points in their last two home bouts against Harrogate Town and Tranmere Rovers, Phil Parkinson‘s men are still primed to achieve their ultimate goal this season.
The Reds are currently in third position, level on points with MK Dons having played a game less.
With an opportunity to cement their place in the division’s top three away at Grimsby Town this afternoon, Parkinson believes his side are relishing the opportunity to start a new run, buoyed by the news involving Ryan Barnett.
Ryan Barnett’s scan has come back all clear
An athletic and energetic right wing-back, Barnett has been a crucial piece of Parkinson’s promotion puzzle this term.
The 24-year-old has made 25 appearances in League Two, recording three assists, including one in the 4-0 hammering of Accrington Stanley.
Sadly, Barnett was taken off 20 minutes from time with a foot injury after being on the receiving end of a late tackle against Tranmere.
Describing the incident as a “serious challenge”, Parkinson feared the worst and thought one of his star players would be out for multiple weeks.
Luckily, Barnett had a scan to check the severity of the injury and it has come back all clear, leaving the Wrexham boss feeling relieved.
“We’ve had some good news with Ryan Barnett,” Parkinson told Wrexham’s official site. “We thought it could be a potential broken foot, but we sent him for a scan and it came back clear.
“He’s still got a lot of bruising around it, but we did fear the worst when we saw the state of it after the game.”
A Ryan Barnett vs Luke Bolton showdown
Barnett’s scan coming back all clear means that, although he could miss this afternoon’s game, he should be back in content to start against Mansfield on Good Friday.
The former Shrewsbury Town defender has played in Wrexham’s last six matches in the league, with Luke Bolton forced to watch on from the side.
However, with Barnett suffering from a bruised foot, the Reds deadline day signing can stake his claim for a starting spot.
After all, the 24-year-old was described as a “real threat” by Parkinson previously and did record five assists for Salford in the first half of the campaign.
Bolton does have an abundance of quality in his repertoire, and while Barnett fully recovers from his injury, the Manchester City academy graduate has to show his class against Grimsby.