Wrexham are currently working away in Melbourne as the tour of Australia and New Zealand truly kicks off on Friday morning.
Wrexham learned the Championship fixture list two weeks ago, and Phil Parkinson has been given a tough test.
Southampton will be Wrexham’s first opponents as Parkinson returns to the club where he started his playing career.
That game will be in Parkinson’s mind, but his immediate focus is on Wrexham’s pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Wrexham’s travelling squad headed Down Under on Sunday and have been training in Melbourne this week ahead of facing Melbourne Victory on Friday.
Trips to Sydney and Wellington follow as Wrexham change it up after two successive pre-season tours of the United States.
Why Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds overlooked another US tour
Many would have expected another trip to the U.S. this summer, having enjoyed some big games against the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea over the last two pre-season campaigns.
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds switched it up this time, instead arranging for Wrexham to head Down Under.
‘Welcome to Wrexham’ has proven popular in Australia and New Zealand, but there were other factors behind overlooking the United States this time.
BBC Sport report that a number of factors came into that decision, starting with the Club World Cup.
The showpiece event has taken place in the U.S. this summer, with Chelsea and Manchester City involved as the English representatives.
Premier League clubs have avoided heading to the United States at the same time, meaning a lack of high-profile games for Wrexham to play.
The Championship season also starts a week earlier than the Premier League, meaning Wrexham’s window for tour games was fairly tight.
Wrexham also couldn’t guarantee promotion at the time of arranging pre-season games, which was important because League One begins a week earlier than the Championship this season.
Time constraints appear to have been the main factor, but with so many other games taking place in the United States this summer, Wrexham made a wise decision to go elsewhere.
Wrexham home friendly still to come
There is currently a three-week gap in Wrexham’s schedule, with no confirmed games between the final pre-season tour match against Wellington Phoenix and the Championship opener against Southampton.
Wrexham will surely have home friendlies lined up, but there has been no confirmation on that front just yet.
Wrexham hosted Fleetwood Town at home on August 3 last summer, just a week ahead of the big season kick-off against Wycombe Wanderers.
That fixture was only confirmed on Wrexham’s official website on July 8 – this very week last year.
Wrexham are bound to have been working on home friendlies of late and will hopefully have something to announce soon, with Parkinson potentially eyeing two UK-based friendlies before facing Southampton.