Sheffield United full-back Femi Seriki has been given a one-game suspension and will not feature against Wrexham.
The results of the rescheduled matchday 36 are out, and it’s been one of despair for Wrexham. While the Reds slipped up against Watford and lost an opportunity to leapfrog Hull for the 5th spot, Southampton’s recent win has pushed them out of the playoff zone.
Even before this matchday, Wrexham trailed Southampton on goal difference. Their 3‑1 defeat to Watford, combined with Southampton’s win, has allowed the Saints to leapfrog them into 6th by a significant margin on goal difference.
While Wrexham still have a game against Southampton in the run‑in, they need to win every fixture between now and then to keep their playoff dream alive. That starts with taking all three points against Sheffield United to close out a gruelling March schedule.
To Wrexham’s relief, they have a major boost ahead of the trip to Bramall Lane. It comes after Sheffield United full-back Femi Seriki has been suspended for the Wrexham game.
Femi Seriki’s red card suspension
Sheffield United’s 1‑1 draw with Birmingham on matchday 38 ended their faint playoff hopes. As if that blow to Chris Wilder’s side wasn’t enough, the game also saw them lose key full‑back Femi Seriki for the Wrexham game.
This happened after the right‑back attempted to break up a Birmingham attack by challenging Ibrahim Osman. Though Seriki managed to win the ball, the referee deemed it a blatant foul that denied an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
Soon, Seriki was given his marching orders within the first 23 minutes of the game. Though the Blades appealed to the EFL to overturn the decision by arguing that Seriki wasn’t the last man standing, the EFL has denied all appeals.
As a result, Seriki has been given a procedural one-match suspension for the red-card offence and won’t feature against Wrexham.
Seriki’s heroics in reverse fixture at the Racecourse
With five goal contributions in 31 Championship appearances, Seriki has established himself as one of the division’s top young full‑backs this season. And no one knows that better than Wrexham fans, who felt his impact first‑hand on Boxing Day.
As soon as the seventh minute, Seriki outran George Thomason and Nathan Broadhead on the wing to deliver a brilliant cross to Patrick Bamford. The Blades forward finished the chance with an ecstatic backheel to give Sheffield United the 1-0 lead in the Boxing Day tie.
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Soon enough, Seriki repeated the sequence. He beat Thomason to the ball to deliver a perfect through ball to Bamford at the far post. The Sheffield forward met it with a perfectly timed run to put the Blades 2-1 up within 15 minutes.
Though Wrexham completed an iconic 5-3 comeback later, the club faithful will never forget Seriki’s heroics on the evening. Needless to say, his suspension is a major boost to Wrexham’s hopes for the reverse tie.
Wrexham must complete league double over Sheffield United
With Southampton now occupying the 6th playoff spot, it’s vital that Wrexham beat Sheffield United to avoid falling too far behind the Saints. This requires the Reds to make the most of the double boost they’ve received ahead of the tie.
Notably, Femi Seriki’s suspension coincides with George Dobson’s return for Wrexham. Having served his 3-game suspension in the matches against Hull, Swansea and Watford, Dobson will be back against the Blades.
Dobson’s return breathes life back into Wrexham’s depleted midfield. That’s because Phil Parkinson’s experiment with Zak Vyner in the role has been a mixed bag. After a flop display against Hull and an extraordinary show against Swansea, Vyner was subpar in a collective dismal performance against Watford.
Apart from his quality, Dobson’s return after weeks of rest will add intensity to the drained Wrexham side. His comeback will be crucial for the Reds to see out the frantic March schedule with a possible win.
So far, Wrexham have managed just one season double in the Championship over Charlton Athletic. The club needs a season double on Sheffield United to keep their playoff hopes alive against Southampton.
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