Ahead of Wrexham’s League One clash with Stockport County this weekend, there are only four points separating three of this season’s newly-promoted sides.
While Wrexham have taken to life in the third tier like the proverbial duck to a warm pond, Mansfield Town and a Stockport side who hammered Bolton Wanderers 5-0 last time out have not exactly struggled with the adaptation.
After Ryan Barnett fired Wrexham past Mansfield on Saturday, the Hollywood-backed Welshmen travel to Lancashire to take on another of last term’s rivals.
And Stockport, full of confidence after that obliteration of Ian Evatt’s Bolton, know that another statement victory will cut the gap between themselves and Wrexham to just one single point.
So, with Phil Parkinson’s side facing a battle hanging onto their top-three spot, Wrexham really could have done without a worsening of their injury situation.
Phil Parkinson hints at first Jon Dadi Bodvarsson start for Wrexham
Parkinson this week sung the praises of Arthur Okonkwo; the former Arsenal goalkeeper proving to be an ‘amazing’ signing as he inserts himself directly into the Golden Glove reckoning.
But with a broken wrist now keeping Okonkwo out for six weeks at a minimum, Stockport may fancy their chances. Especially on the back of last week’s five-goal haul.
Back-up Callum Burton will be tasked with stepping in during Okonkwo’s absence. And he is not the only Wrexham newbie who could be thrust in to make his first League One start for the Racecourse Ground outfit away at Stockport.
Parkinson admits that he removed Jon Dadi Bodvarsson on the hour mark during the midweek draw with Port Vale in the EFL Trophy in order to rest the striker’s legs.
With Jack Marriott still unavailable and Steven Fletcher suffering what Parkinson called a ‘setback’ during his Thursday press conference, Bodvarsson could be included in the Wrexham XI for the first time since joining as a free-agent back in October.
“Jon hasn’t played [much football] and I always wanted to bring him off after 60 minutes,” Parkinson admits.
“I wanted to stretch Mo [Faal] longer but he was cramping up, and we couldn’t afford to get him or Jon injured because the league is so important.
“And we are already with Jack Marriott and Steven Fletcher.”
Parkinson and Mo Faal partnership a source of excitement
Wrexham do still have Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer fit and available for the trip to Edgeley Park.
Parkinson liked what he saw from the Bodvarsson – Faal partnership against Port Vale, however. And two forwards at very different ends of the age spectrum can be confident of more regular action in league football too, given that Mullin and Palmer have only three third-tier goals between them in 2024/25.
“The front two were brilliant, really really good,” Parkinson said of Faal and Bodvarsson after that Port Vale meeting, the 32-year-old Icelander still building up his match sharpness after he was released by Bolton at the start of the summer.
“A good combination. They played close together and I thought they worked tirelessly for the team.”
With only 22 from their 14 league matches, Wrexham are now the second-lowest goalscorers in the division’s top six.
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