Phil Parkinson could surprise us at 6pm with recall for ‘brilliant’ Wrexham ace – now’s the time to get him back to his best.
Wrexham face Port Vale tonight in the EFL Trophy second round, and Phil Parkinson is set to make some changes to his lineup.
Phil Parkinson’s lineup rotation against Crawley Town resulted in a last-gasp triumph for Wrexham, rekindling their promotion ambitions.
After being postponed, the EFL Trophy game between Wrexham and Port Vale is finally here.
But will Parkinson use this as an opportunity to give marginal players a chance? For one player in particular, this may be the ideal opportunity to reclaim his spot in the starting lineup.
Arthur Okonkwo might recover his position for the Port Vale encounter.
Parkinson may re-instate Arthur Okonkwo in his starting lineup for the Port Vale match, despite the difficult decision.
Okonkwo is generally Wrexham’s first choice goalkeeper, but he has been injured this season. The teenager returned to the team lately after recuperating from a fractured wrist, but he had a shocker in the defeat to Stevenage last week.
In the victory over Crawley, Mark Howard replaced him in goal.
Parkinson conceded Okonkwo returned too early and was probably not match-ready, which resulted in his removal over the weekend. However, if the Wrexham manager wants his number one to improve his fitness and sharpness, this cup game may be an excellent opportunity.
Okonkwo has plenty to show, but the Port Vale game might pose a concern.
On his finest days, Okonkwo is a ‘great’ goalkeeper who is widely regarded as one of the best in League One and the Football League.
However, it’s easy to forget that he’s still young, and at 23 years old, he has to be properly nurtured.
Confidence is essential for goalkeepers, and although the Port Vale game provides an opportunity to face lower league opponents in a competition that Wrexham aren’t quite committed to, it could also be a significant setback if things go wrong.
A loss against Port Vale, although allowing Wrexham to focus on their League One promotion campaign, would still be disappointing, and Okonkwo might become a scapegoat if he makes a mistake.
In this instance, the rewards certainly exceed the dangers, and reintroducing Okonkwo to the club might be just what the player needs to conclude the season on a high note. However, Parkinson may play it safe and continue with Howard till Okonkwo is ready.
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