Wrexham

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Wrexham will face Wisla Krakow during their 2026 pre-season schedule to celebrate the Polish side's 120th anniversary.

Wrexham say the match, which is provisionally scheduled to take place on 11 July at Synerise Arena in Krakow, will celebrate the two clubs' "shared culture and community focus".

Fans of Polish 1.Liga leaders Wisla Krakow, who are 13-time national champions, crowdfunded to help save the club from bankruptcy in 2019, eight years after Wrexham supporters famously came together to save their club.

The two sides also share historical links as, in 1946, Wrexham's Penley Hospital supported Polish soldiers and civilians following the Second World War.

Alfred Konkiewicz, a former Wisla Krakow player and vice-president, colonel of the Polish Army, and commander of the 70th Infantry Regiment during the September Campaign of 1939, is buried in Wrexham.

Wrexham club ambassador Mickey Thomas said: "As a former Wrexham player, who played for and represented the club on their European campaigns in the 1970s, I am so pleased to see us back to a level where we are now connecting with European clubs such as Wisla Krakow.

"The fact that there is a shared history between Wales and Poland and that both clubs have overcome tough times thanks to their community-focused approach will only make this 120th anniversary match in July even more special."

Wisla Krakow owner Jarosław Królewski said: "Wisla Krakow has existed for 120 years because it has always stood on three pillars: history, courage, and supporters.

"The crisis of 2019 showed that modern football cannot function without trust and genuine partnership with fans.

"The anniversary match with Wrexham is symbolic - a meeting of two clubs that have proven that even in the most difficult moments, it is possible to rebuild without losing one's identity."

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Jay Rodriguez scored for Wrexham in a 1-1 draw against Bolton Wanderers in the Central League.

The striker missed the opening half of the current campaign after an ankle injury in pre-season but has made five senior appearances across all competitions since returning to action after Christmas.

Phil Parkinson used the fixture against his former employers to give the likes of Rodriguez additional game time as they look to return to full match fitness.

Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward featured against the Trotters in his comeback from the elbow injury he sustained in late August.

Aaron James and Elliot Lee took part in the fixture having recovered from their own injury issues while Harry Ashfield, Ryan Barnett and Paul Mullin also featured.

Midfielder Lee and striker Mullin are in the frame to leave the Red Dragons on loan before Monday's 19:00 GMT transfer deadline while Wrexham have also received inquiries about the availability of academy product Ashfield.

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Wrexham's Championship contest with Bristol City at Ashton Gate will take place on Tuesday, 17 February.

The fixture was due to be played four days earlier on Friday, 13 February but was rearranged because of Wrexham's meeting with Ipswich Town in the fourth round of the FA Cup on the same night.

Kick-off in Bristol is scheduled for 19:45 GMT.

The Robins currently sit seventh in the Championship, one place and one point behind Phil Parkinson's side.

Wrexham have registered interest in Southampton striker Adam Armstrong, 28, with Saints wanting £15m for the Englishman. (Alan Nixon - requires subscription), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip column here.

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Ollie Rathbone says Wrexham's QPR comeback showed why they are a play-off contender – just as he showed why he is rivalling the very best in front of goal.

Rathbone reckons the 3-2 win at Loftus Road typified the mentality Phil Parkinson has built in the Red Dragons' dressing room.

But it was the 29-year-old midfielder who the fans were serenading loudest in west London after his injury-time winner.

It is the fourth league goal this season for Rathbone who missed the first three months of the campaign after a pre-season ankle injury.

And that is despite playing just 266 minutes in the Championship, with two league starts and seven appearances off the bench.

It means Rathbone has averaged a goal every 67 minutes of league action – far outstripping the rest of the Championship top scorers.

It was Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson who highlighted his goals-per-minute ratio as he heaped on praise for Rathbone and fellow goalscorer Josh Windass.

But Rathbone himself insisted it was what the result meant for the team that was of more importance, saying: "It was a difficult start to the season for me, it felt I was playing catch up a little bit but now I'm feeling good and loving being part of this group.

"We had great run over Christmas with four wins in a row and we were all keen to show it wasn't a flash in the pan.

"So after a rocky week and up against it at 2-1 down, to get the win is amazing."

The away win came after coming unstuck at the Cae Ras in successive fixtures, first losing against Norwich before conceding in the last minute to draw with Leicester.

"I think it shows a lot about the group and the mentality that we were really disappointed with drawing with Leicester who have been Premier League Champions and FA Cup winners not so long ago," Rathbone said.

"It was a kick in the teeth and we were kicking ourselves for throwing away two points and then, with five minutes to go [at QPR] we're looking at the clock with a similar feeling.

"But I thought then we showed why we're in the position we are in the league."

The win moved Wrexham into the top six for the first time since promotion to this level, but although Rathbone admitted the game could prove a significant moment, he added: "If you get carried away you can easily fall down the table.

"But for now we're in a great place, the team's in a really good spirits, the group's together, and it's really enjoyable to be part of."

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Phil Parkinson says Wrexham are "better equipped" to face Queens Park Rangers on Saturday (15:00 GMT) than they were in the reverse fixture in September.

Julien Stephan's side beat the Red Dragons 3-1 at Stok Cae Ras early on in the campaign, although Wrexham have significantly improved in the months since that contest.

"I think we're better equipped now. It's just adapting to the league," said Parkinson.

"We showed the other night [against Leicester City], if you look back at the performance, the lads gave so much.

"It was a really good performance in difficult conditions against a team which was in the Premier League last year.

"When we're beating ourselves up about drawing with an ex-Premier League team, it just shows where we've come from. But there's an expectation on us now as individuals and collectively that we can compete with anybody at the level."

Wrexham have no fresh injury concerns following the 1-1 draw with Leicester on Tuesday.

Rangers trail Wrexham by just one point in the Championship table, and Parkinson feels the league position of the two clubs will be reflected at Loftus Road.

"It's a tight ground, they're a competitive team who have been in and around the mix for most of the season and they're solid defensively," he said.

"It will just be another tight game separated on detail I'm sure.

"It's really about us concentrating ourselves and picking the team who we feel is right for this one."

He added: "QPR is going to be another test from a team, I've lost count of the amount of years they've been in the Championship, that are striving to get into that play-off zone.

"I always loved playing there as a player, particularly at Reading, it was a close proximity to Reading and managing there, there's always a good atmosphere and I know we've sold out our tickets - there's a big demand for it.

"It's one of those traditional grounds in terms of the atmosphere and it really is a great place to play and manage."

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A new initiative highlighting the work of football club charities has been launched by the English Football League (EFL).

'Scan to Smile' will be rolled out in stadiums across the EFL from Friday until the end of January, with supporters invited to scan QR codes on posters displayed around grounds.

Each scan will unlock a short, uplifting story from a person whose life has been positively impacted by the support of their local club charity.

The subjects tackled include mental health support, combating loneliness, improving physical wellbeing, employability and confidence.

The EFL said it hoped the initiative would use "the reach and influence of football to offer fans a moment of positivity on matchday".

Trevor Birch, chief executive at the EFL, said: "Behind every club are people whose lives have been positively changed through the work and dedication of their local EFL club charity.

"This initiative gives supporters the chance to see that impact first-hand and reminds us that football truly is a force for good."

Millwall, Wrexham and Rangers are interested in signing 26-year-old Tunisia right-back Yan Valery from Sheffield Wednesday. (The Star), external

Read all the latest EFL transfer rumours in Friday's gossip column here.

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Wrexham's youngsters have broken new ground by beating Southend United to reach the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup for the first time in the club's history.

Jac Jones, Carrick Murphy and Sammy Chesworth all netted for the Red Dragons' under-18s in a 3-1 victory over the Shrimpers' young guns at Roots Hall.

Craig Knight's side will take on five-time winners and defending champions Aston Villa in round five as they bid to continue their memorable run in the competition.

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Mo Faal's season-long loan with Port Vale has been cut short with the forward returning to Wrexham to undergo treatment on an injury.

The 22-year-old made 23 appearances across all competitions for the struggling League One side, scoring three goals, but sustained an injury in Vale's 1-0 win at Bolton Wanderers earlier this month.

Faal is heading back to north Wales with Wrexham saying they will "assess his next steps following treatment".

Faal joined Wrexham from West Bromwich Albion in the summer of 2024 and has made 16 senior appearances for the Red Dragons.

Each of his three goals for Phil Parkinson's side came in the EFL Trophy during the 2024-25 season.

This will be Wrexham's first trip to Loftus Road in 22 years and they will be looking to avoid falling to a second successive league double, albeit the last one was in 2004.

QPR's past two league games have finished goalless against Stoke and Oxford United respectively.

• QPR have won each of their past four league games against Wrexham in succession, as many as across their prior 12 matches combined between 1960 and 2001 (D4 L4).

• Wrexham have won just two of their nine away league games against QPR in club history, winning 2-1 in September 1962 and 1-0 in October 1980.

• QPR have kept a clean sheet in each of their past three league games, drawing the last two 0-0. They last went four without conceding in December 2024.

• Wrexham have won each of their past two away league games and will be looking to win three in succession in the second tier of English football for the very first time.

• Wrexham's Sam Smith has scored nine goals in his past 16 league starts, netting in each of his past three in a row.

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Former Wales striker Iwan Roberts reckons Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson should consider finding places in his starting line-up for both Kieffer Moore and Sam Smith.

After a spell out with injury, Moore returned to Parkinson's starting line-up in Tuesday's draw with Leicester City at the expense of Smith (above).

Wales international Moore has been Wrexham's first choice in attack this season and has scored 12 goals since joining from Sheffield United last summer.

Former Reading player Smith, 27, seized his chance while Moore was sidelined, scoring in three successive Championship games before the Foxes draw.

As Wrexham prepare for a trip to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, Roberts believes the Red Dragons could start with Moore and Smith in attack.

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"The way Wrexham play, with five at the back, I think they could play both and it would benefit both - they would complement each other," he said on this week's Feast of Football podcast.

"Phil likes two number 10s. He likes [Josh] Windass, [Nathan] Broadhead or [Lewis] O'Brien. I think you could turn it around and just get one of those behind two centre-forwards.

"I think Kieffer Moore and Sam Smith, the old-fashioned big man, little man combination, would work really well for Wrexham."

Roberts reckons Moore and Smith would bring different qualities to Wrexham's frontline.

"They can't be as direct when Sam Smith is up front - they have got to get different quality up to him," he added.

"He has got more pace. Big Kieffer works the channels well but I think Sam Smith does it better."

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Danny Ward is among the players set to feature for Wrexham in a behind-closed-doors fixture against Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday.

The goalkeeper has been sidelined since sustaining an elbow injury during the Red Dragons' 2-0 win over Millwall at The Den in late August.

But having missed his side's 1-1 draw in a friendly with Liverpool earlier this month, Ward is now available to take part against Bolton next week, along with team-mates Aaron James and Lewis Brunt.

"Danny Ward is going to play in that one and that's important for Danny because the Liverpool game just came a little bit too soon for him. He's ready now," said Phil Parkinson.

"Brunty and Aaron James as well, they've also been training and need a game.

"So that's going to be a big day for those players and Brunty and Aaron, let's not underestimate those two lads.

"Brunty was doing really well, he was in the team on merit when he got injured at Middlesbrough. He's trained really well but he'll be involved on Tuesday and from then on he's right in the mix to get his shirt back."

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Wrexham are carefully managing Liberato Cacace following his recent return from injury.

The New Zealand international has sustained three separate injury issues since joining the Red Dragons from Italian side Empoli in the summer.

But he has featured four times since the turn of the year and netted his first goal for the club as Wrexham dumped Premier League Nottingham Forest out of the FA Cup.

Despite feeling close to his best again, the left wing-back says he will rely on the guidance of the club's medical team to ensure he does not suffer any further injury issues.

"I think I'm just being managed quite carefully this time around," he said.

"I'm looking to the medical staff, trying to build me up 60, 75 and 90 minutes.

"I feel quite good and hopefully I can go again in the next game."

Phil Parkinson's side return to action against Queens Park Rangers in west London on Saturday (15:00 GMT) having played three successive matches on home soil.

QPR won the reverse fixture 3-1 in mid-September, although Cacace feels Wrexham can be far more competitive this weekend having significantly improved since that contest in north Wales.

"They're also a quality side, they're up there as well on the ladder," said Cacace of QPR.

"If you look back at the game they played here against us, they beat us, so we're looking to turn that around and get three points against them."

The 25-year-old defender said his own club have "come on leaps and bounds since that game".

"You can obviously see that, and the expectations also change, so we're hoping to go there and get three points," he added.

"To be in ninth place, it's in touching distance of the top six and we just need to make sure that we keep building game by game to get that end goal I guess."