Wrexham go into Friday night’s meeting with Birmingham City needing their first Championship win of the season, and they will have to do it with three injured players already ruled out. Phil Parkinson’s side have drawn their opening two league matches, against Cardiff City and Watford, and now face another early test of how quickly they can turn control into three points.
The timing matters because this is not just another league game for Wrexham. Birmingham City have also started without a win, drawing twice in the Championship before their 6-1 loss to Brentford in the Carabao Cup, so both teams arrive with something to prove. For Wrexham, the focus is sharper because the search for a first victory is happening at home, where they have shared their previous two meetings with Birmingham and have not beaten them in four straight encounters.
The injury list gives Parkinson less room to work with. Liberato Cacace, George Thomason and Ben Sheaf are unavailable, and Thomason’s thigh injury is expected to keep him out for roughly 10 weeks, a spell long enough to reshape a manager’s midfield planning before autumn really settles in. That leaves Wrexham relying on the players who have already shown they can carry the side through the first weeks of the campaign.
There are still signs of movement in the squad. Josh Windass could return to the group for the first time this season, while Jacques Ekomié and Issa Kaboré are expected to be involved. Anthony Patterson should keep his place in goal, and Wrexham are likely to go with a back three of Callum Doyle, Dom Hyam and Zak Vyner again. Danny Imray, who scored his first Wrexham goal against Watford last weekend, is expected to stay at right wingback, with Ekomié a possible debutant on the left if he is fit enough.
That selection picture is important because Wrexham need both stability and sharper attacking edge to break a pattern that has already started to press on the season. Lewis O'Brien is expected to line up in midfield alongside either Matty James or Ben Whiteman, a choice that could decide how much control Wrexham have over the tempo if Birmingham turn the game into a tight, physical contest.
What stands out most is the gap between the result Wrexham want and the one they have managed so far. Two draws have kept them unbeaten, but they have also left the team looking for a first finish line rather than celebrating momentum. Birmingham bring their own winless run, yet Wrexham’s recent record against them adds another layer: four meetings without a victory is the sort of stretch that can weigh on a squad if the game stays level late.
Friday night gives Wrexham a direct chance to change that mood before the season gets any older. If the home side can protect the structure Parkinson appears to trust and get more from the attacking pieces now coming back into the picture, the first Championship win should stop feeling like a target and start looking like the point that changes the shape of their campaign.
