Conor Coady might miss out on a Leicester City reunion at the King Power Stadium, with the centre-back battling for his spot in the Wrexham line-up.
Coady is one of five former City players in the Wrexham squad, with the Welsh side travelling to Leicester on Tuesday evening for what will be the clubs’ first competitive meeting in 43 years.
But the defender, who departed in a £2m move during the summer, may not even be named among the substitutes.
After a tough start to his Wrexham career, he was relegated to the bench for the victory at Norwich, and then wasn’t even included in their 20-man squad for the stalemate with Derby at the weekend.
While Coady remains a doubt, Danny Ward will certainly be absent with his dislocated elbow. But defenders Lewis Brunt and Callum Doyle, along with former midfielder Matty James, who earned promotion with City in 2014.
Asked about his relationship with Coady, City boss Marti Cifuentes said: “We spent not many weeks together, but he’s a brilliant guy.
“He was very honest about his feelings and his situation in the club. So I really wish him all the best, apart from Tuesday.
“They are in a journey as a club. They have been doing really well in the past couple of seasons. It’s going to be a good challenge for us.”
After three consecutive promotions, Wrexham will have to excel to make it four on the bounce and reach the Premier League at the first attempt.
The Hollywood-backed club sit 15th in the Championship after seven matches, but City will need to stay alert against a side that has won two of their three away games so far.
“Definitely when there are committed owners, there is a possibility to do a lot of good things,” Cifuentes said of Wrexham. “But when you arrive to this level, it starts the challenge of PSR.
“They have definitely signed good players for this league. I’m sure they will keep improving, from what I hear and what I know. It’s definitely an interesting journey, the one they have been on.”