Elliot Lee and Ryan Hardie were nowhere to be seen for Wrexham's 1-0 pre-season friendly win against Manchester United, and that's the real headline, folks. While grabbing a victory against a Premier League giant like Man United is always sweet, the real concern is the injury status of these two key players.
The Injury Bug Bites Early
Coach Phil Parkinson confirmed both Lee, 31, and Hardie, 29, missed the trip to Helsinki, Finland. Now, they were with the squad in Poland last week, with attacking midfielder Lee even playing the second half of a 0-0 draw against Wilsa Krakow. Hardie didn't get on the pitch then either, so it's a double dose of bad news. Parkinson is crossing his fingers that these aren't serious injuries. You gotta hope for the best, especially with the grind ahead!Building Blocks for the USA Tour
Parkinson is still optimistic about getting other guys back before the big American tour kicks off. We're talking about players like Libby Cacace, Sheafy, and Josh Windass. Cacace is already back in training after his run with New Zealand at the World Cup, which is huge. Parkinson sounds confident, saying "the lads are progressing well" and they've got "a good base to go to America with." That's the spirit we need, especially with the building blocks going into these important friendlies. Wrexham is gearing up for a triple header in the USA, facing Leeds United on July 26, Liverpool on July 30, and Sunderland on August 2. Getting Lee and Hardie healthy, plus those other guys back on the field, is absolutely critical for Wrexham to build momentum and hit the ground running for the season. Let's hope those injuries aren't serious so we can see the full squad soon!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.