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Wrexham have been dealt a massive blow in their quest to secure a fourth consecutive promotion.
The Welsh club have run into an unexpected obstacle off the pitch, with an alarming sickness bug sweeping through the Red Dragons’ dressing room.
Manager Phil Parkinson admitted his squad were running on fumes despite clinching a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Portsmouth at the Racecourse Ground on Tuesday night.
The three points kept Wrexham’s Premier League dream alive and strengthened their grip on a play-off place, with Parkinson’s side now four points clear of seventh-placed Southampton.
But it was clear from their Jekyll and Hyde performance that the team has been stretched to its limits.
Wrexham only needed 23 minutes to break the deadlock as Sam Smith rose highest to head home a sublime Callum Doyle cross.
That was Smith’s sixth goal of the season and his first since scoring the winner in the 1-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday on January 31.
Wrexham doubled their advantage a quarter of an hour after the opener as Max Cleworth headed home a corner from George Dobson.
That goal sent the Red Dragons into the break with a comfortable two-goal cushion, but things became nervy just four minutes into the second half.
Zak Swanson pulled one back for Portsmouth through a deflected effort that left Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo wrong-footed.
Wrexham were forced to dig deep to repel a relentless barrage from the Blue Army for the rest of the game as their first-half intensity plummeted.
While the Red Dragons managed to see off Portsmouth and secure all three points, their second-half performance was well below par, and Parkinson later revealed why.
The 58-year-old confirmed that a virus has been sweeping through the squad, leaving a number of key players struggling to make it to the final whistle.
“The energy levels weren’t quite where they needed to be,” Parkinson admitted (via Wales Online).
“We’ve had a bit of illness in the camp over the last few days. But we just dug deep as a team and we restricted them to very few chances.
“A few of the lads had it, and Sam [Smith] at half-time was feeling ill. Kieffer [Moore] had already been ill over the last couple of days.”
The virus has lingered in the dressing room, but the club is taking measures to stop the spread.
“Sometimes you get that, and someone might bring it into the club from home,” Parkinson added. “We’ll just clear the building in the next day or two and come back ready to go again.”
Wrexham’s illness bug is a huge threat to their momentum
Wrexham cannot afford a disruption or drop off in form at this crucial stage of the season, and this virus threatens to derail their momentum.
Parkinson’s side are sixth in the Championship table after stringing together a strong run of results since late December. They have won eight of their last 12 Championship games (D2, L2).
Victory over Portsmouth means they’ll visit The Valley to take on lowly Charlton Athletic on the back of consecutive league victories.
With only a couple of days until the game, Parkinson will hope to have recovered his troops before kick-off as Wrexham look to stave off Southampton and Bristol City in the top six race.
In fact, only six points separate Wrexham from 12th-placed Watford, so any slight hint of complacency can send the Welsh club tumbling down the table.
Fortunately for Wrexham, they have a decent record against Saturday’s hosts, although both sides have faced off just three times in the modern era.
After their 2-2 draw at The Valley in October 2024, Wrexham claimed back-to-back wins against Charlton by a combined scoreline of 4-0.
Charlton’s form should also fuel Wrexham’s confidence. Saturday’s hosts have won just two of their last eight Championship games (D3, L3). They’re also winless in their last three games (D2, L1).
Charlton are there for the taking, but Wrexham must ensure their ongoing bug issue doesn’t affect their performance on Saturday.