Despite not making it onto the field of play against Wigan this weekend, one Wrexham player was back on the bench and will now be pushing for a return to the starting lineup.
Wrexham have been going strong this season, despite a handful of injuries threatening to derail their attempts to gain yet another promotion.
Phil Parkinson has had to contend with the absence of Arthur Okonkwo for the last ten matches, leaving Mark Howard to step up in his place.
While Howard has been hailed for his recent displays, Parkinson will now have a big decision on his hands as to who plays between the sticks in the New Year and beyond.
Arthur Okonkwo was back on the bench vs Wigan Athletic
Okonkwo has made positive steps in his recovery after suffering a wrist injury earlier in the season, and he was back on the substitutes’ bench for the League One clash with Wigan on Sunday.
Rather unsurprisingly, Parkinson opted against making any changes to the goalkeeper area during the game, with Okonkwo left to watch on from the bench.
But, as the club’s undisputed number one before the injury setback, the Wrexham summer signing will no doubt be looking to re-establish himself between the sticks as soon as possible.
How quickly he can do that will depend largely on the performances of Mark Howard, and that influences the decision-making of the Wrexham manager.
Should Phil Parkinson keep faith in Mark Howard?
Howard may have kept his place in the team this weekend, but he got one of the lowest scores in our Wrexham player ratings for the Wigan game.
The veteran keeper made a huge error when dealing with a back-pass, with a calamitous attempt at a clearance almost gifting Wigan a goal.
Indeed, it would be no real surprise if Howard was dropped immediately for the fit-again Okonkwo. It would be a shame, and a big disappointment for Howard, but such is the life of a goalkeeper, sadly.
Howard will be under no illusions that he is the back-up goalkeeper at Wrexham. Even though Howard has looked right at home lately, it is surely only a matter of time before he is replaced once again.