Wrexham travel to MK Dons in what is a huge clash at the top of League Two tonight and Phil Parkinson has a few key decisions to make with his team selection.
Wrexham boosted their automatic promotion hopes by beating Notts County 1-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Stephen Fletcher’s acrobatic finish was enough to seal the three points as the Reds moved ahead of Crewe Alexandra in the League Two table.
After securing two wins in the space of four days, it’s now important for Phil Parkinson’s side to continue their momentum by making a statement against promotion rivals MK Dons.
Mike Williamson’s troops have won nine of their last 13 matches and a victory would really propel them into the mix for a promotion spot.
A real battle could be on the cards and Parkinson could weigh up some changes to his side.
Unfortunately, one of those could be enforced as the ‘tremendous’ Ryan Barnett picked up an injury against the Magpies while another could be dropping Paul Mullin for Jack Marriott.
Why Phil Parkinson should drop Paul Mullin for Jack Marriott
Mullin was thrown straight back into the team on Saturday after being benched against Sutton United and although he changed the game in the latter contest, he struggled to make his mark against Notts County.
The 29-year-old has now gone six matches without scoring in all competitions and Parkinson could consider dropping him for Marriott against MK Dons.
Marriott has only made one start for the Reds and that was against Sutton a week ago, coming off the bench on three other occasions for a combined total of 30 minutes.
Ultimately, the former Derby County striker hasn’t had enough minutes to leave his mark on this promotion race truly, but his attributes could be perfect against a side like MK Dons.
The hosts like to dominate the ball, ranking fourth in the entire division for average possession as Wrexham will look to play on the counter attack.
With the hosts using a high line, the 29-year-old would have the opportunities to spring in behind with his pace and stretch the Dons’ defence.
The lethal finisher, who was once lauded as “incredible” by Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony, is tailor-made to be used on the counter attack.
He thrives off chasing lost causes and running in behind. It’s how he rose to prominence as a Championship level striker.
Although dropping Mullin may seem harsh, replacing him for Marriott could make a huge difference against the Dons.