Wigan Athletic will face Wrexham in a behind-closed-doors friendly without three of the visitors' senior players, manager Phil Parkinson confirmed ahead of the fixture.
Trio ruled out as Wrexham finalise preparations
Parkinson revealed Libby Cacace, Ben Sheaf and Josh Windass will not feature in the match, which serves as Wrexham's last warm-up before they begin their Championship campaign against Cardiff City on Monday 17 August.
The manager said the trio were "probably not" ready to play, stressing that "for various reasons, tonight came too soon for them" while adding the club would be patient over their returns.
"You've got three real quality players there to come back into the group and we've just got to be patient for that."
Cacace missed Wrexham's 1-0 defeat to Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Friday night because of what Parkinson described as "fatigue in his calves." The New Zealand wing-back, who joined from Empoli last summer, endured a stop-start first season at the Racecourse Ground with hamstring and calf problems and made 12 Championship appearances last term.
Sheaf and Windass have also been absent from pre-season action due to knocks, Parkinson added, though he gave cautious updates on their progress. He said Sheaf would be "back on the grass" the day after the friendly and that Windass had "made good progress also." The signs, he said, were encouraging.
Fitness management ahead of the Championship
Parkinson insisted Wrexham would still field a strong side against Wigan, pointing to the need to give players match minutes ahead of the competitive opener. He singled out Max Cleworth, who had earlier struggled in pre-season with an Achilles issue, as someone who needed game time.
- Libby Cacace — missed Middlesbrough clash due to calf fatigue; limited to 12 Championship appearances last season.
- Ben Sheaf — recovering from a knock; expected to return to grass training shortly.
- Josh Windass — progressing in recovery but not deemed ready for the friendly.
While the match is behind closed doors and therefore invisible to supporters, its role as the final fitness check for Parkinson's squad is clear. The manager balanced the desire to field a competitive XI with caution over players who have had heavy workloads or recurring issues over the summer.
| Player | Issue | Current status |
|---|---|---|
| Libby Cacace | Calf fatigue; prior hamstring/calf problems | Unavailable for friendly; signs positive |
| Ben Sheaf | Knock sustained during pre-season | Training to resume on grass |
| Josh Windass | Knock kept him out of pre-season | Making good progress |
For Wigan fans, the friendly represents an opportunity to see how their side copes with a competitive Championship outfit, even if supporters will not be in the ground. For Wrexham, managing workloads — especially for players returning from international duty or a disrupted season — is the priority as they prepare for a demanding campaign.
Parkinson's message was simple and familiar to any local supporter: bring players back carefully, and don't risk longer-term availability for the sake of a single warm-up. "We just want to make sure him, Sheafy and Windass are right," he said, adding that the club hoped Cacace's issue was only temporary after his busy summer with the World Cup and subsequent pre-season minutes.
Even with the trio absent, Parkinson confirmed his intention to name a strong line-up for the match. That pragmatic approach will be watched closely by Wigan Athletic, who will be keen to test themselves and assess fitness levels before the season proper resumes.
