Wrexham and Crewe Alexandra went head-to-head in the third round of the EFL Trophy on Tuesday evening.
Phil Parkinson selected a very makeshift Wrexham starting line-up vs Crewe Alexandra in midweek.
There were no survivors from the weekend’s win over Burton Albion, with George Dobson and centre-back Thomas O’Connor two of the only players to start the clash that have seen regular minutes in 2024/25.
Dan Scarr was also at the heart of the backline but aside from that trio, the Wrexham manager opted to give a lot of fringe players, including Anthony Forde and new signing Brad Foster, a chance.
It was a pretty poor opening 30 minutes in Wales, which was to be expected given both sides made so many changes to their elevens.
Foster was forced to make one save early on while Jacob Mendy looked lively at the other end.
Wrexham dealt another injury blow vs Crewe Alexandra
The most notable talking point from the early stages of the game, however, came on the injury front.
Alongside Mendy, Forde and more, James Jones was given a rare start against Crewe.
The 28-year-old has played just 26 minutes of League One football in 2024/25, with his only real chance to impress coming in the EFL Trophy.
Jones started in the wins over Salford and Wolves’ U21 team and was once again in from the off this week.
However, the Englishman went down just after the half-hour mark on Tuesday before being forced off and replaced by Andy Cannon.
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Wrexham injury list mounting after James Jones blow
Jones joins George Evans as the second central midfielder currently out of action for Wrexham.
How long he will be out for remains to be seen, with Parkinson likely to provide an update in the coming days.
It is not just midfield where the Red Dragons are light at present, however, with several areas of their pitch taking a hit this season.
Jack Marriott is a long-term absentee after being injured in early October after a fantastic start to the campaign.
The biggest area of concern right now, however, is between the sticks, with goalkeeper Callum Burton posting an injury update this week after undergoing surgery.
Arthur Okonkwo is out of action as well, forcing Wrexham to sign the aforementioned Foster on a short-term deal last week.
Wrexham have now signed three free agents to help ease their injury woes already in 2024/25.