Wisla Krakow vs. Wrexham: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

Wrexham will look to build their fitness when they face Wisła Kraków in their first preseason friendly on Saturday.

Phil Parkinson’s side returns to action for the first time since the end of the Championship season in early May, beginning preparations for another Premier League promotion bid. The Red Dragons drew 2–2 with Middlesbrough on the final day of the campaign, narrowly missing out on a playoff spot.

Wisła Kraków will celebrate its 120th anniversary this weekend and has invited the Welsh club to Poland for a commemorative match. Wrexham famously lost 1–0 to Grimsby Town during the club’s own 150th anniversary celebration in 2014 and will hope to spoil the party this time around.

While it would be nice to open the summer schedule with a victory, the primary focus will be on building fitness, with Parkinson expected to give as many players as possible valuable minutes.

Wisla Krakow vs. Wrexham Prediction

Getting Valuable Minutes

Callum Doyle celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammate Nathan Broadhead against Chelsea. — Wrexham won't have any new players on show this weekend. | Carl Recine/Getty Images

Wrexham knows the result is largely irrelevant this weekend, although Parkinson will still expect a professional performance to kick off the preseason.

The match against Wisła Kraków is one of only five preseason friendlies that is not against Premier League opposition, so it should provide a different kind of test than the challenges that lie ahead.

Tactical template: Wrexham has only five official preseason matches, so Parkinson will need to make the most of every opportunity to fine-tune his tactics ahead of the new season. While his preferred formation has remained largely unchanged during his time at the club, he has made plenty of subtle adjustments to the system. It will be interesting to see whether he introduces any new tweaks this summer.
A chance to impress: One of the best parts of preseason is seeing fringe players get a fresh opportunity to prove themselves. Everyone knows the stars of Wrexham’s squad, but what about Davis Keillor-Dunn, Bailey Cadamarteri, Seb Revan and Conor Coady?
Who isn’t involved?: Perhaps the biggest storyline will be which players fail to feature. Parkinson is expected to rotate heavily over the first two matches, so anyone left out of those friendlies may already have an uncertain future at the club.

Prediction: Wisła Kraków 2–2 Wrexham

Wrexham Predicted Lineup vs. Wisla Krakow

Wrexham XI — Phil Parkinson will give plenty of players a chance this weekend. | FotMob

Wrexham will use their opening preseason fixture as a chance to build fitness, with a host of players expected to get minutes across the match.

It makes most sense to split the experience across both halves, rather than play a strongest lineup and a reserve side. Parkinson has already revealed youngsters such as Harry Ashfield, Aaron James and Alex Moore could all get minutes.

Max Cleworth has been ruled out of the match due to injury, while Ben Sheaf and Josh Windass are both also doubts. Wrexham welcomed back four internationals to training in midweek, with Danny Ward or Arthur Okonkwo the most likely of them to feature from the start.

Dom Hyam and Liberato Cacace have both been handed an additional break after their recent World Cup exploits, so also won't be in Poland on Saturday.

Wrexham predicted lineup (3-4-2-1): Ward; Vyner, Scarr, Brunt; Barnett, James, Dobson, Thomason; Ashfield, Keillor-Dunn, Smith.

What Time Does Wisla Krakow vs. Wrexham Kick Off?

Location: Kraków, Poland
Stadium: Synerise Arena
Date: Saturday, July 11
Kickoff: 2:00 p.m. BST / 8:00 a.m. ET / 6:00 a.m. PT

How to Watch Wisla Krakow vs. Wrexham

Across the United States and United Kingdom, the match will be broadcast exclusively on Wrexham’s website. Season ticket holders and club members can access a stream for free, but a match pass is also available for purchase by those without season tickets or memberships.

The match will be broadcast live in Poland on Canal+ and SportCanal+.

READ THE LATEST WREXHAM NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC

Add us as a preferred source on Google