The three-week international hiatus has felt like an eternity for Championship managers, who usually spend these grueling fortnights staring at their phones with sweat on their brows. Across the division, club bosses have been left wincing as star players dropped like flies during a bumper slate of Nations League and continental qualifiers.
Managers up and down the country are currently counting the cost of muscle strains, long-haul fatigue and late-flight delays. For Wrexham, who saw five first-team regulars jet off across different continents to represent their countries, the anxiety around The Racecourse this week was very real.
The Reds sent a heavy contingent on international duty: Welsh duo Kieffer Moore and Danny Ward, African qualifiers Issa Kaboré (Burkina Faso) and Jacques Ekomié (Gabon), along with Bailey Cadamarteri, who linked up with Jamaica for CONCACAF action.
With crucial Championship fixtures coming thick and fast starting against Derby County on Saturday, fan fears were naturally high regarding the physical state of Phil Parkinson’s key men after such an intense, long-distance layoff.
However, the medical room hasn’t been flooded with bad news – in fact, quite the opposite.
Phil Parkinson has confirmed that all four core international stars Kieffer, Wardy, Jacques, and Issa have made it through the break entirely unscathed and will be fully available for selection.
“It’s certainly been different,” Parkinson said about the extended first international break of the season which has lasted three weeks.
“First of all for the lads who have been away, they have had a long time away from their families.”
“The good news from our point of view is they have all come back okay, although Bailey’s not back with us yet.”
“Kieffer and Wardy were given a couple of days off because they have had a hectic schedule.”
“Jacques and Issa have probably done the most travelling but they have come back in good shape so we are pleased with that.”
Wales concluded their Nations League window on Sunday with a 1-0 defeat against Denmark, prompting Parkinson to grant both Ward and Moore a brief mental and physical breather before joining up with full training ahead of the Derby clash.
For Kaboré and Ekomié, their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying duties wrapped up over a week ago, allowing the full-back pair ample time to re-integrate with the squad at The Racecourse.
The only late returnee is Cadamarteri, who featured in Jamaica’s clash against Honduras on Tuesday evening and is expected back at the training ground in the final hours before the squad travels east.
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