Wrexham urged to ‘appreciate’ top six challenge

Phil Parkinson has urged his Wrexham players to appreciate the strong position the club is currently in as the Red Dragons remain in the hunt to secure a fourth successive promotion.

Parkinson’s men have claimed 26 points from their 12 league matches since Christmas, more than any other side in the division.

It means they sit sixth in the Championship with a four-point buffer over seventh-place Southampton before Saturday’s trip to Charlton Athletic (15:00 GMT).

“I think mental freshness is key, getting that right, getting the rotation as well and the physical and mental freshness is really key at this stage of the season.

“I think really appreciating where we are this season in terms of in the Championship, in the top six and just making sure we really enjoy that feeling of being in this situation.

Wrexham are unbeaten in their past five away league matches – with only five teams averaging more than the Red Dragons’ total of 1.5 points per game on the road in the Championship so far this season.

And Parkinson hopes his side can go into their mouth-watering FA Cup fifth round contest with Chelsea at Stok Cae Ras on Saturday, 7 March (17:45 GMT) on the back of three successive league victories.

“We’re in good form and we go there (to Charlton) with a huge challenge on our hands to go into the FA Cup weekend in good league form,” added Parkinson.

Following his side’s 2-1 win against Portsmouth, Parkinson revealed that strikers Kieffer Moore and Sam Smith – who netted the opener against Pompey – were among those who had been struggling with illness.

But the Wrexham manager says he has no new concerns ahead of the contest with Nathan Jones’ Addicks.

“Yeah, one or two others as well (had been ill), but they’re all back in this morning. We were all off yesterday and back in today,” said Parkinson.

“It’s about getting the ones who didn’t play the right level of training, the ones who did play a second day of recovery and picking the team tomorrow to go and put a performance down at Charlton.”

January signing Zak Vyner was unavailable for the first three matches after joining Wrexham from Bristol City due to a toe injury.

The 28-year-old featured as a substitute in each of the league wins against Ipswich Town and Portsmouth in the past week and is now in a position to be used when called upon.

“Zak’s fine,” said Parkinson.