Wrexham take on Reading in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening, as Phil Parkinson’s side look to move into the fourth round.
Wrexham are now just a handful of games away from potentially playing at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final.
As unlikely as it may be, Phil Parkinson’s side are now in the third round of the tournament after Wrexham beat Preston in their last Carabao Cup game, beating Hull City in the first round.
If Wrexham beat Reading on Tuesday night then they’ll be in the fourth round. After that, it’s just the quarter-final and the semi-final to play before reaching the final.
The Dragons will be expected to get past Reading on Tuesday night: the Royals sit in 20th place of the League One table but have already beaten Championship opposition in the Carabao Cup this season, overcoming Portsmouth in the first round.
- READ MORE: Forget Kieffer Moore, EFL expert says this Wrexham star is ‘probably the best’ signing they’ve made
Reading boss hints at team news for Wrexham clash
Speaking ahead of the weekend, Phil Parkinson says Wrexham will go all-out against Reading, suggesting that he might put out a strong side, albeit with a few inevitable changes to keep the players fresh during this congested period of the season.
And Reading boss Noel Hunt has also given an indication as to how he’ll line up this weekend. He’s hinted at making several changes and giving some fringe players minutes, which will surely mean a weakened side, playing into Wrexham’s favour.
Hunt explained: “It’s a quick turnaround. We’ll rest up tonight and enjoy the win [vs Leyton Orient on Saturday], then get ready to go tomorrow. We will see. I want to assess the group first and see how we go with it. We’ve got boys on the fringe that will need minutes so it’s important that we look at that.”
- READ MORE: Forget Kieffer Moore, EFL expert says this Wrexham star is ‘probably the best’ signing they’ve made
How much will Wrexham win if they beat Reading?
The Carabao Cup offers prize money for winning at each round of the tournament, albeit not a lot, especially considering the fact that Wrexham spent more than £30million on new players this summer.
But every penny counts for owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac. So far this season, Wrexham have made £12,000 from the Carabao Cup (£5,000 for the first round and £7,000 for the second).
| Round | Prize money |
| First Round winners | £5,000 |
| Second Round winners | £7,000 |
| Third Round winners | £10,000 |
| Fourth Round winners | £15,000 |
| Quarter-Final winners | £25,000 |
| Semi-Final winners | £25,000 |
| Winner | £100,000 |
And if they win their third round tie against Reading, Wrexham stand to win a further £10,000, whilst the prize for winning the tournament itself is a cool £100,000.
For now though, Parkinson will simply be focused on the match and focused on who he can bring into the side to keep fitness levels high, but to maintain a good degree of quality within the XI.
Kick off is at 7:45pm on Tuesday night at the Racecourse.