Wrexham Handed Big Injury Boost Ahead Of Derby Game

Wrexham could look forward to having Ollie Rathbone back in action ahead of their weekend clash against Derby County.

The Red Dragons booked their ticket to the EFL Cup fourth round with a win over Reading last night, marking the furthest they have reached in the League Cup since 1977, losing to Liverpool in the quarter finals of the competition. It was Nathan Broadhead who claimed the headlines on the night, but Phil Parkinson was able to provide a bit more joy after the final whistle.

Rathbone On The Mend

Speaking to the Wrexham Leader at the Racecourse Ground, the former Bolton Wanderers boss gave a positive injury update on Rathbone, who last featured for the club in May against Lincoln City on their final match in League One.

“Ollie trained fully today for the first time and looked great. That’s a huge bonus for us as well because you add his energy and quality into that group, the squad then starts to look where it needs to be.

“We’ll see how he is Thursday [To appear against Derby]. But to get Ollie’s personality back on the training ground is a huge lift for us.

“He was outstanding for us last year and he’s a player who’s played in the Championship and done well.

“His second season with Rotherham was tough when they were in a bit of free-fall, but the season before that he did well. So he’s played at the level and it’s great to have him back.”

Parkinson opted to play summer signing Ben Sheaf and George Dobson to start their previous league game away at Norwich City, with both Matty James and George Thomason coming on off the bench in that match.

Writers’ View

Ollie Rathbone will be a big boost to have back in the Wrexham squad for this weekend. A key part of their promotion last season, he will want to prove he can still be the best choice to play during a summer when Wrexham bought many Championship-level midfielders, such as Ben Sheaf and Lewis O’Brien. While a start in the game against Derby County may come too soon, he will surely have a role to play with a few midweek fixtures to navigate in the coming weeks.