A crucial factor in Wrexham’s rise through the leagues has been Phil Parkinson’s ability to adapt to fresh challenges. Last season was a prime example; he kept Wrexham on track for promotion from League One by overcoming the obstacles thrown in his path.
These challenges included losing key players to injury, such as when Jack Marriott’s scoring streak in the opening weeks of the season was ended abruptly by a broken leg, and the need to gradually ease out heroes from previous promotions and replace them with the necessary upgrades.
Over the course of the season, Parkinson’s side morphed from featuring eight or nine members of the National League title-winning side of 2022-23 to just two by the final weeks of last season. To make those changes while engaged in an almighty tussle with Wycombe Wanderers to claim runners-up spot in League One was no mean feat.
A similar rebuild has taken place this season following the step up to the Championship, with seven of the starting XI against Portsmouth in Tuesday’s hard-fought 2-1 victory having joined the club since the start of June. It would have been more but for Ben Sheaf’s potentially season-ending knee injury, suffered during last weekend’s win against Ipswich.
His loss is a big blow, the £6.5million summer signing from Coventry City having impressed hugely in midfield. Calm in the most cluttered area of the pitch, Sheaf’s passing ability has helped usher in a more attractive style of play.
Ben Sheaf will be a big miss for Wrexham after suffering a knee injury (Oli Scarff / AFP via Getty Images)
Sheaf and Matty James have been ideally suited to the 3-4-2-1 box midfield set-up favoured by Parkinson since Christmas, bringing a level of control that helped nullify fellow play-offs hopefuls such as Derby County and Preston North End during a holiday period that thrust Wrexham into the promotion race via four straight wins.
But now Wrexham are having to do without both Sheaf and James, since the latter broke his toe in the February 7 home defeat to Millwall. No return date has been set for James, 34, whose recovery has suffered a slight setback.
“It’s a real blow for us,” said Parkinson after confirming Sheaf is facing up to 10 weeks out with medial ligament damage, potentially taking him up to the final day of the season.
His solution against Portsmouth was to partner Lewis O’Brien with George Dobson in the holding roles. The duo could be happy with their first half efforts but were unable to stem the tide of Portsmouth attacks following a tactical reshuffle by the visitors at the break, as Gus Caballero was withdrawn and the lively Adrian Segecic brought on.
Only in the closing stages did Parkinson turn to Zak Vyner, the January signing from Bristol City, to see out a game in which Wrexham had been forced to defend 11 corners in the second 45 minutes and repel six shots on goal.
“You have to factor in Matty’s broken toe and then losing Ben on Saturday,” said Parkinson. “A lesser group would have maybe let that rock them but we didn’t.
“We didn’t quite get the control we wanted. But, sometimes football is about finding a way to win. We did that really well tonight.”
Sheaf’s absence was keenly felt, especially in that second half when his composure on the ball and ability to find space for a return pass would have been a big help.
His value to Wrexham across the season is perhaps best illustrated by the below image detailing his six most common attempted pass clusters this season, covering almost the entire middle third of the pitch.
But a tendency to attempt overly ambitious passes down the wing, as opposed to keeping things short and simple, was a big factor in how the ball kept coming back time and time again.
Where Dobson and O’Brien do deserve praise is for their first-half efforts. Not only did Dobson create Wrexham’s second goal for Max Cleworth with a wickedly in-swinging corner. But the pair also never gave the visitors a moment to settle on the ball, hassling and harrying their counterparts at every turn.
They read the play well, too, never more so than when O’Brien ran 30 yards to track Terry Devlin, a Wrexham target during the January transfer window, and shepherd the ball out just as the wing-back looked to have found an opening.
Both will be hoping that first half showing is enough to retain their places for the weekend trip to Dobson’s former club Charlton Athletic.
Perhaps, however, Wrexham might be better suited by bringing Vyner in for his full debut. Signed primarily as a centre-back in January for £1.5 million, his midfield experience makes the deal seem prescient now Sheaf and James are out.
Almost a third of the 2,332 minutes he played in a City shirt during 2025-26 came in the same midfield role he filled in November’s 2-0 defeat at The Racecourse Ground.
Vyner’s first two outings in Wrexham colours have been cameos from the bench against Ipswich Town and Portsmouth. That these came in midfield is revealing about someone who has been a mainstay at Ashton Gate for the past few years. 
This dependability across all manner of positions will be important in the coming weeks, as Wrexham look to remain on course for the play-offs.
“Zak can play there,” says Parkinson about the holding midfield role. “We’re really hoping Matty won’t be too long. He’s been a big player for us. But, as I always say, when a player is out injured it’s just an opportunity. We know Zak can play in there.
“It’s not the position he has played predominantly in his career. But he can do a job in there. When he came on, you could feel his presence in the middle of the pitch.”