Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson will be faced with one major disadvantage over the injury sustained by Danny Ward, who had played a crucial role for the Red Dragons before his injury.
Wrexham notched their first win of the 2025/26 Championship season against Millwall before the international break, with the brilliant performance alleviating some of the pressure placed on Phil Parkinson’s shoulders.
Kieffer Moore and Lewis O’Brien bagged the goals for the Red Dragons to help Parkinson’s side recover from the disappointing 2-2 home draw to Sheffield Wednesday on the weekend prior.
Unfortunately, the game also saw Danny Ward suffer a major injury, going down with major discomfort in added time.
Parkinson confirmed that Ward had to get surgery following the injury, and looks set to be out for some time, which could have a drastic effect on Wrexham, according to the stats.
Wrexham will struggle to replicate defensive displays without Danny Ward
Phil Parkinson’s faith in Danny Ward this season was met with confusion from supporters, and while the Welsh international has struggled at times, he has put in some top performances, including his clean sheet against Millwall.
But his absence is set to be felt greatly, as, according to WhoScored, Ward has notched the joint most saves in the Championship (15) alongside Bristol City shot-stopper Radek Vitek, and has also recorded the most stops from inside the box, which stands at 11.
This will be very difficult for Arthur Okonkwo, if he is chosen to replace Ward, to replicate, as while he has shown vast quality in recent years for Wrexham, he does not match up to the injured No.1 regarding experience at Championship level, one of the key reasons why the former Leicester City man was brought in for.
Arthur Okonkwo will have a big responsibility to replicate Danny Ward’s performances
One of Wrexham’s main issues so far this season has been the number of shots faced.
Danny Ward has been kept busy since he joined the club, and while he manages to top the list for saves in the Championship, it reflects on the amount of times he has been tested per game.
It will be a challenge for Arthur Okonkwo to take over, but hopefully, the Wrexham goalkeeper can acclimatise to Championship level quickly.
Hopefully, the international break also provides Phil Parkinson with the opportunity to shore up his defence ahead of Okonkwo coming into the side.
The Wrexham goalkeeper’s part has been limited so far this season, but his mini cameo against Millwall did see him record a fantastic save at the end to maintain the team’s clean sheet. Hopefully, we see plenty more of that from the young shot-stopper.