Wrexham have confirmed that star striker Paul Mullin suffered a punctured lung in their friendly victory over Manchester United.
The Red Dragons beat a United team comprised of youth academy players as part of their high-profile USA pre-season tour, but were dealt a huge blow when Mullin collided with United goalkeeper Nathan Bishop.
Mullin was on the ground for around 10 minutes, during which time he was given oxygen and subsequently substituted off.
Wrexham have now confirmed that Mullin suffered a punctured lung, and he will now undergo a period of recovery which will see him miss the start of the season.
Phil Parkinson’s side kick off their campaign against MK Dons on August 5th, and they will have to find a solution to cope without Mullin for their first few games back in League Two.
Mullin scored an astonishing 46 goals in 51 games last season, and started every single game in all competitions. Wrexham may find it tough to cope without their top scorer, and there is no indication yet as to whether they will enter the transfer market for a temporary replacement.
How long does it take to recover from a punctured lung?
According to Healthline, it typically takes 6-8 weeks to recover from a punctured lung, and surgery may be necessary depending on the severity of the injury.
If Mullin is absent for the next eight weeks, he could return towards the end of September. This could see him potentially miss 11 games across all competitions.
The games he could miss include nine League Two fixtures, the first round of the EFL Cup, set to be played against Wigan Athletic, and the first round of the Football League Trophy, against Newcastle United under-21s.
This would therefore be a huge blow for Parkinson and Wrexham, and they will nervously await news on a clearer timescale of Mullin’s injury, and hope that the 28-year-old can make a speedy recovery.