Wrexham are set to face Melbourne Victory in a pre-season friendly, with the game set to throw up one significant challenge for Phil Parkinson’s side.
Wrexham are about to get underway in their pre-season schedule, with a clash with A-League outfit Melbourne Victory awaiting the Red Dragons.
It will be the first time that Phil Parkinson can observe his somewhat new-look squad and the new additions, with many Wrexham fans set to be keen on how Ryan Hardie will perform.
The game will be the first of three that Wrexham will undergo in their jam-packed schedule whilst Down Under, and whilst the Red Dragons arguably have more firepower within their ranks, Parkinson has sent a warning to his side about what they could struggle with against the Australian side.
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Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson gives warning to squad as they face significant ‘fitness’ test vs Melbourne Victory
The early stages of pre-season are always about rebuilding fitness and strength following a summer off, which will be the main concern for Phil Parkinson.
The Wrexham boss, as a result, has suggested that Wrexham will be in for a tough game against Melbourne Victory, who played in a competitive friendly recently.
Via The Athletic, Parkinson said: “It’s just a couple of days until we play our first game against Melbourne Victory in the Marvel Stadium. It should be a good test against a team that got to the A-League’s Grand Final.
“The final (a 1-0 defeat against rivals Melbourne City) was only a few weeks ago, so I’m expecting them to be a little bit ahead of us in fitness and sharpness — but that is just what we wanted. We need games that test us as a group.”
The 2024/25 season saw Melbourne Victory finish in a respectable 5th place out of 13 in the A-League, meaning that the quality of their side will also make it a big challenge for the Wrexham ranks.
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The key priority for Phil Parkinson is now clear in Wrexham’s pre-season
Wrexham will face a significant jump up in quality regarding the sides they will face in the 2025/26 Championship season, with the leap between the second tier and League One being sizeable.
However, another thing to bear in mind is the significant increase in the importance of players’ fitness, with this set to be a much bigger challenge next season.
Especially within the older ranks in the squad, Parkinson knows that they have the quality to perform at Championship level, but will need assurances over fitness levels and their ability to give 100% for 90 minutes.