A Wrexham injury boost has arrived regarding Lewis O’Brien but with a catch. The midfielder won’t make the teamsheet on Boxing Day, meaning it’s a mere consolation.
Wrexham and Friday night’s Championship opponents Sheffield United were on the opposite side of promotion wishes, not long ago. Back in May, the Red Dragons were running high on the celebration spirits of arriving at the second tier.
On the other hand, the Blades were mourning a playoff final loss that meant a Championship stay for atleast another twelve months. All the work Sheffield put in to be considered Premier League pedigree had gone to waste.
The point here isn’t to sympathise with the Blades or their fans. Instead, to show that both Phil Parkinson’s men and Chris Wilder’s blades have seen hardships in 2025.
For the visitors, the tough periods were during the summer and early months of the season. For the Red Dragons, the rough phase is going on with fewer wins and fewer players becoming a common headache for boss Parkinson.
Yesterday night, James McClean was handed his suspension orders for 2025. To be honest, the 36 year old is not in the prime years of his career but his leadership is an asset Wrexham direly needed to slice up points from Sheffield United.
How are Sheffield United playing in the 2025/26 season?
Don’t fall for Sheffield’s struggling position in the standings, Wrexham fans. The Championship tables do lie, because in the past 6 games the Blades have stamped their authority as the most in-form side in the second tier.
4 wins with a draw and a loss, versus Wrexham’s one win and 3 draws in the same six match timeframe isn’t a fair competition. We are the underdogs in front of Chris Wilder’s well-drilled unit, let’s face this fact.
On top of that, the underdogs are lacking midfield power big time. The news of Lewis O’Brien’s injury will have reached the Blades camp by now, where Chris Wilder and the others would be licking their lips to dominate Wrexham throughout the ninety minutes.
Lewis O’Brien fitness boost won’t impact Sheffield United game
A consolation update has arrived on LOB, though. Don’t jump in excitement just yet, O’Brien won’t be making the Sheffield teamsheet.
It’s just that Phil Parkinson has sparked a bit of optimism on LOB’s recovery timeline.
As quoted by the Leader Live, Parky added: “Lewis has seen the specialist and the good news is it is not as serious as we first thought.”
I’m not throwing any estimates but Lewis O’Brien returning on the same matchday as James McClean is a fair guess. LOB can also make it quicker than McClean’s 3 game punishment, but the writing on the wall doesn’t change for Sheffield United.
Predicted changes Phil Parkinson can make for Sheffield United
Parkinson can atmost bring Nathan Broadhead at left midfield and slot in Ollie Rathbone to avoid running into makeshift squad ideas. Jay Rodriguez can then be sent on to further up the chances of a late goal, though Wrexham fans would barely applaud him while coming on.
The fanbase has welcomed Rodriguez’s return in a hostile manner on social media, and goals from the Englishman’s boots will have to calm down their moods.
For fans of Ryan Barnett and Ryan Longman, there is an open likelihood that both would be guarding Wrexham’s flanks just two days later. Picture this, Longman was snapped up as an upgrade over the defensive minded Barnett back in League One.
A division above, they both are well placed to play together for Wrexham. Seriously, having McClean just made the Dragons neglect the left midfield area and now that he is out, it’s a struggle to form a talented lineup without him.
Feels like a win at Sheffield United could be Parkinson’s finest Championship performance, on the level at Coventry City. Let’s hope it does.
