This could mean they not expecting Glen to be ready in time....
DENIS SMITH today revealed he will be calling off Wrexham’s League One double-header over Easter -but that decision leaves skipper Darren Ferguson playing an anxious waiting game.
The Reds’ boss has been left with no choice but to postpone matches at home to Brentford (March 25) and at Port Vale (March 29) because four of his players have received international call-ups. Football League rules state that games can be called off if a club has three or more players called-up.
Hector Sam was the latest Reds’ player to be named in a squad just last night. Sam joins Carlos Edwards in the Trinidad and Tobago squad for World Cup qualifying matches against Guatemala and Costa Rica. And Mark Jones and Craig Morgan were yesterday selected for Wales under 21s’ double header against Austria.
But the double cancellation of Wrexham’s league matches leaves Ferguson facing a nervous wait.
The postponements means there are just two league games before Wrexham’s dream LDV Vans Trophy final against Southend United at The Millennium Stadium on April 10 - and Ferguson is banned for both.
Ferguson sits out Saturday’s League One trip to Swindon Town because he picked up his tenth booking of the season in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Oldham Athletic.
The other match the influential midfielder will miss is the home game against Bournemouth on April 2.
Smith said today: “I had a phone call last night to say Hector is being called up, and that just caps it off. You take the four players out of the squad and what with injuries, there is just no way we can play.
“It was always going to be difficult anyway but I was hoping to have played the games. I had probably made my mind up yesterday with three call-ups to call it off, then Hector makes it four. I thought, that’s it.
“I have tried things. We looked at bringing the game against Brentford forward to the Tuesday, and asking Wales if the under 21s could join up later, but Brentford have got a game that day. I have gone through everything.
“That means it is going to be a long time until Darren Ferguson next plays. He won’t play until the LDV Vans Trophy final - if selected - and that’s not an ideal situation.
“I just hope he is allowed to play in reserve matches.”
Smith now has to fit the two postponed matches, as well as the match at Barnsley which was due to be played on the day before the final, and the FAW Premier Cup semi-final against Bangor City, into a hectic shedule.
“That’s four matches to re-arrange and after the Easter break we have five midweeks before the end of the season,” said Smith.
“From April 4 until the last game on May 7 we will have to play ten games. That’s a silly schedule and not what I wanted.
“These international call-ups are killing us and other clubs in our league don’t have this problem.”
Another Trinidadian, centre-back Dennis Lawrence, missed training yesterday with a foot injury.
Smith already has six first team players on the sidelines with injuries - Chris Armstrong, Brian Carey, Danny Williams, Jim Whitley, Dean Bennett and Alex Smith - and Ferguson serving a suspension.
Wrexham reserves travel to Rochdale tomorrow but fit members of the first team squad will not be risked.
Smith said: “We’ll have to find a team for the reserves but Andy Dibble needs games and will probably play.”
