Wrexham have been dealt a devastating injury blow ahead of pre-season and that has opened the door for one player to take his golden chance.
A positive start to the summer transfer window for Wrexham after signing Arthur Okonkwo and Lewis Brunt has quickly turned sour.
On Wednesday evening, the Reds announced that star striker Paul Mullin would miss the club’s pre-season tour of the United States after undergoing surgery to correct a long-term lower back/hamstring injury.
Wrexham couldn’t put a timeline on his return, although it is believed the 29-year-old could miss the start of the League One campaign which kicks off with a home clash against Wycombe Wanderers.
Mullin is no stranger to missing the start of a new season. After puncturing his lung in a pre-season friendly against Manchester United in 2023, the striker missed the first eight matches but returned to score 26 goals in all competitions as Phil Parkinson’s men sealed consecutive promotions.
The injury to Mullin is a devastating blow to everyone associated with Wrexham, although it could have handed a golden chance to a current outcast.
Jack Marriott now has a golden opportunity to impress Phil Parkinson
Jack Marriott has played understudy to Mullin ever since arriving from Fleetwood Town in the January transfer window.
Marriott only started three times in the league for Wrexham in 2023/24, scoring just one goal – a strike in the 6-0 hammering of Forest Green Rovers.
Opportunities to impress have been few and far between for the 29-year-old, who arrived with the knack of scoring goals at a higher level than League Two.
A League One Golden Boot winner with Peterborough United in 2017/18 and a scorer of 45 goals in 114 appearances in the third tier, Marriott’s previous exploits point towards someone who can fill Mullin’s boots.
Whilst those chances haven’t arrived for him so far and he’s been restricted to cameos from the bench, now could be the time for Wrexham’s ‘maverick’ to showcase his worth to Parkinson in pre-season.
A strong start to the campaign could see the Englishman keep his place in the starting XI and would negate the need to invest in another striker.
Marriott has greater League One credentials than Mullin
League One has never been a happy hunting ground for Mullin, who scored just three goals in 20 appearances for Tranmere Rovers the last time he played at the level.
Indeed, that was in completely different circumstances to where he finds himself now, with Tranmere fighting relegation for much of the campaign and dropping back down to the fourth tier.
Mullin was expected to set the division alight at Wrexham following his previous three incredible seasons at the Racecourse Ground and he still can once he returns from injury.
However, Marriott’s credentials at this level are much greater than Mullin’s, with the former Derby striker flourishing at Peterborough.
As previously mentioned, a record of 45 goals in 114 appearances isn’t to be sniffed at and if Marriott can return to those levels in 2024/25, he will prove he can be the perfect understudy to Mullin after a period of struggle.
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