A crucial decision awaits Phil Parkinson as he decides the final slot of his 22-man Wrexham squad for the remainder of the campaign.
After announcing the additions of Luke Bolton and Jack Marriott, who made their debuts from the bench in the 3-1 defeat against Salford City on Saturday, Wrexham are gearing up for an automatic promotion charge.
Although Phil Parkinson’s side have now lost their last three matches in all competitions, they are still in a strong position in the league, currently one point behind third-place Barrow with two games in hand, and six adrift of leaders Stockport County.
Ahead of their clash against Bradford City this Saturday, Parkinson has named his squad for the remainder of the season but left one slot available.
In line with the EFL regulations, clubs in League Two are restricted to a 22-man squad, although that doesn’t include goalkeepers or players who were under the age of 21 at the start of the calendar year.
The Reds boss has opted to name 21 outfield players at this stage with the option of including Anthony Forde, who missed the last three games with a back injury, Callum MacFadzean or a free agent.
Parkinson, therefore, isn’t in a rush to name the last player in his squad and wants to wait on the extent of Forde’s injury before making a final decision.
Phil Parkinson wants to name Anthony Forde as the final player in his squad
The former Hull City manager has hinted at naming Forde as the final player in his squad as long as his current injury subsides.
Speaking to the Leader, Parkinson said: “We are waiting on Anthony’s injury to see how that settles down because you don’t have to name the full 22.
“You can leave spaces open so we are going to do that.
“Some clubs only name 18 and then they can add to it but once you name someone in there, you can’t take them out of it and change it.”
On Forde’s injury, Parkinson added: “It’s a back injury which came from nowhere.
“He has had one injection and he is having another one, we have just got to see how he is day-by-day.”
Should Parkinson name Forde in the Wrexham squad?
The 30-year-old has appeared 14 times for Wrexham this term and has supplied two goal contributions, scoring on the opening day of the season against MK Dons and assisting in January’s 4-1 win over Barrow.
After the signing of Bolton, many felt his exclusion from the squad made sense, but as Parkinson revealed, the only reason he’s been left out is due to injury – not his performances on the pitch.
Wrexham do now look well covered in the right wing-back position and while Forde’s game time will likely decrease with Bolton’s arrival, he does deserve that final spot over MacFadzean.
The former Sunderland and Plymouth Argyle defender hasn’t made an appearance in League Two this term and has essentially been frozen out of Parkinson’s plans.
Unless the Wrexham boss dips into the loan market, the most sensible option is to leave that spot vacant until Forde returns to action.