Wrexham and Preston North End meet on Saturday afternoon with both clubs staring at the lower end of the Championship table, and the timing gives the fixture extra weight. Wrexham are in 17th position, three points above the relegation zone, while Preston are already in bottom spot and four points adrift of safety.
That is why the search around Wrexham vs Preston has sharpened this week: this is not a routine league game, but a direct chance for both sides to change the shape of their season. Wrexham have two wins and 11 points from 10 matches, a return that looks thinner when set against the fact they have beaten Millwall and Southampton already but have taken only one point from their last two league matches against Derby County and West Bromwich Albion.
Phil Parkinson is expected to alter his Wrexham XI after that patchy run, with Lewis O'Brien and Sam Smith among the players who may come back in. Danny Imray and Ryan Longman are options on the flanks, while Max Cleworth, Ben Sheaf and Nathan Broadhead are expected to remain sidelined. Wrexham have shown they can hurt stronger sides, but their numbers still explain the pressure around this game: they have scored more than twice in a match only once this season, and their only clean sheet came in a goalless draw with Swansea City.
Preston arrive with problems of their own. Graham Alexander has been in charge for only two matches, and the early picture is bleak: a 1-0 loss to Millwall at the weekend followed by a 4-0 defeat to Birmingham City on Tuesday night. Preston have conceded 20 goals from 10 games, lost eight times this season and have only one win to show for it, against Blackburn Rovers, with their other point coming in a 2-2 draw against Queens Park Rangers.
The issue for Preston is not just the results but the drift. They are already at risk of being cut loose from the teams above them, and Alexander has more injury and selection issues to manage, with Stanley Mills serving a one-match ban and Liam Gibbs expected to miss out after an injury sustained at Birmingham City. Harry Clarke and Johnny Kenny are also expected to miss out, though Alexander said Clarke would be sidelined for a little while. Pol Valentin and Andrew Moran could be used at wing-back and in midfield, while Jusef Erabi may get the nod over Callum Lang in attack.
Wrexham need the points more than the atmosphere, and Preston need anything that stops the slide. Saturday afternoon offers both clubs that chance, but for Parkinson the calculation is simple: if his changes do not work now, the table will start to look even less forgiving.
