Wrexham AFC Looks to Build Momentum Against Winless Burnley
Wrexham AFC step back into a sold-out STōK Cae Ras tonight with something they have not had much of in the early weeks of the Championship season: momentum.
Phil Parkinson’s side have taken four points from two awkward away trips, thumping Millwall 3-0 before grinding out a goalless draw at Swansea City. Two clean sheets on the road, after three winless league games to start the campaign, have steadied the mood and sharpened the sense that this new-look squad is finally starting to settle.
Now they face a very different kind of test: a wounded, winless Burnley, live on Sky Sports Plus at 7.45pm.
Wrexham finding their feet
Parkinson is expected to stick with the 3-4-2-1 shape that has given Wrexham a platform in the last week. The structure is familiar, but the faces around it are changing quickly.
Deadline day brought a flurry of signings, and one of them adds a little extra edge tonight. Joe Worrall, who previously turned out for Burnley, could line up against his former club after his move to North Wales. Callum O’Hare, another late arrival, is pushing to keep his place and inject craft between the lines.
There may be tweaks after the energy-sapping draw at Swansea. Kieffer Moore, Josh Windass and Jacques Ekomié all started on the bench last weekend and are pressing to return to the XI. If Parkinson restores Moore up front, with O’Hare and Windass buzzing behind him, Wrexham will carry far more punch between the lines and in the box.
Out wide, the wing-backs could shape the entire night. Danny Imray and Ekomié, if both get the nod, will be tasked with dragging Burnley’s back line into uncomfortable areas and turning possession into pressure.
Liberato Cacace remains sidelined. Ben Sheaf and Nathan Broadhead are edging closer but face late fitness checks, the kind of marginal calls that can tilt a manager’s plan either way.
Burnley under strain
Burnley arrive in North Wales with the weight of expectation pressing heavily on their shoulders. Relegated from the Premier League last season, they sit bottom of the Championship with just two points from their first five games. The margin for patience is already shrinking.
The response has been bold. Jamie Vardy is in the building.
The 39-year-old, a free transfer after leaving Leicester City, has signed until the end of the season and could make his debut tonight. Given his lack of recent competitive action, he is more likely to start on the bench, but his mere presence changes the feel of the fixture. Vardy had been briefly linked with Wrexham earlier in the window; instead, he turns up in claret, potentially poised to spoil the party.
Nicky Hayen’s options are stretched. Denis Satpaev is expected to miss a few weeks, while Bashir Humphreys, Jordan Beyer, Jaydon Banel, Enock Agyei, Josh Cullen and Ashley Barnes are all unavailable. Lucas Pires may return after completing concussion protocol, a welcome boost to a squad already frayed by injuries.
On paper, that list of absentees nudges the odds towards the home side. On the pitch, Parkinson will not need reminding that even a struggling Burnley still carry enough quality to punish lapses, especially if Vardy appears with the game stretched.
A chance to build a run
For Wrexham, the stakes are clear. Victory would make it four unbeaten and confirm that their early wobble was just that, a stumble rather than a slide. It would also send a message that they can not only survive at this level, but dictate games against recently relegated opposition.
The expectation around the STōK Cae Ras is growing. So is the belief inside the dressing room.
Prediction: Wrexham AFC 2-1 Burnley.
