Wrexham

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Max Cleworth feels Ipswich Town have one of the strongest squads in the Championship as Wrexham prepare to face the Tractor Boys for the third time this season on Saturday afternoon (15:00 GMT).

The Red Dragons drew 0-0 in the reverse fixture at Portman Road on 22 November but beat Kieran McKenna's side 1-0 in the fourth round of the FA Cup last weekend.

And Cleworth feels today's Championship contest with automatic promotion hopefuls Ipswich at Stok Cae Ras will provide another indicator of where Wrexham are at present.

"They've got one of the best squads in the league, there's a reason they were in the Premier League last year as well," the defender said of Ipswich.

"So their squad is very good, I think they can make a lot of changes and be just as strong.

"I'd imagine they'll make a few changes, but I think in terms of how they play and the intensity of the game it will be quite similar.

"I think they're a top team, a well established club. To test ourselves against these kind of teams and players is a good sign of the club's direction."

McKenna made 10 changes to his starting line-up for the cup meeting between the sides eight days ago.

The Northern Irishman is expected to rotate his team once again for the Championship contest with Wrexham.

Despite the possible raft of personnel changes, Phil Parkinson feels Ipswich's approach to the contest will remain similar to how it has done throughout the campaign so far.

"First of all, when the [FA Cup] draw came out, it was a double-header and we've won the first one. Now the aim is to go another step in the league," said the Wrexham manager.

"Will it be a similar type of game? I expect them to set up in a similar shape. They've played the same shape all season.

"Different personnel I would imagine, they'll make changes, but so will we, so we'll see on the day."

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Puma's Rainbow ball will return to the English Football League as part of an on-going campaign against discrimination and homophobia.

The special edition rainbow ball was introduced in 2024 to mark LGBTQ+ History Month and will be used at every EFL game from 20 February until 1 March.

Manufacturers Puma will make a donation to Football v Homophobia for every goal scored with their rainbow ball across the Championship, League One and League Two.

The donations will help support education against homophobia and promote inclusion across the season.

The EFL have released a video, external to coincide with the campaign which features a Preston North End fan who was charged with a hate crime following homophobic chanting during an FA Cup fixture against Chelsea.

The rainbow ball will also feature in EFL partner EA Sports' FC 26 video game.

"The rainbow ball is a powerful symbol of the values we uphold across the EFL all season long," EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch said.

"It not only reflects our longstanding commitment to ensuring the League is representative of all its diverse communities, but also reminds us that we all have a role to play in creating an environment in which everyone feels they truly belong."

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Kieran McKenna does not feel Ipswich Town's FA Cup loss to Wrexham will have any bearing on the league meeting between the sides this weekend.

Josh Windass notched the only goal of the game as the Red Dragons beat the Tractor Boys 1-0 in the fourth round cup encounter at Stok Cae Ras on Friday night.

The two sides meet again in north Wales in the Championship on Saturday (15:00 GMT), and Town boss McKenna hopes the experience of being at Wrexham's home so recently can at least prove beneficial for his troops.

Asked if the cup contest will have any bearing on the upcoming league fixture, McKenna said: "In reality I probably don't think so.

"It's good to have been up here, first time at this ground, for myself, a lot of the players and the staff as well, so that's always useful.

"We know Wrexham are a good team anyway but we felt some of their strengths tonight.

"We have a week to prepare and we need to come up here and deliver a real good performance to get the result we want."

McKenna made 10 changes to his side for the FA Cup defeat but will likely field his strongest possible team in the Championship this weekend as Ipswich remain in pursuit of automatic promotion to the Premier League.

The Northern Irishman hopes his side will benefit in the long run from giving some fringe players game time against Wrexham in the FA Cup.

"If you go out and make the changes, you have to win your next league game, then there won't be too many questions," he said.

"For me, you look at the scheduling and look at where we would fit in the games for an FA Cup run, to be honest it was really hard to see how that wouldn't be to the detriment of the group.

"Having said that, we're competitive people, it's a proud football club and there was a fantastic support here tonight (in the FA Cup) so we tried to balance those goals with going through in the tie.

"The players tried, we went to the last second with it and we're really disappointed for the supporters, especially those who travelled, that we weren't able to give them a result.

"With the schedule how it is, having a clear focus on the league, we have two games a week every week up until the middle of April so the group is going to be really important.

"We've got minutes into the boys with no injuries and I think that will set us up better for the nine games in four weeks that we have coming up than if we hadn't have given those opportunities."

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Midfielder Lewis O'Brien says Wrexham may "have the edge" over Chelsea when they host the Premier League giants in the FA Cup.

The Dragons take on the eight-time competition winners in the last 16 after securing their place with a win against fellow Championship side Ipswich Town.

Wrexham have not lost a home FA Cup tie since the appointment of Phil Parkinson as manager in 2021.

"I think it would've been nice for the lads to experience Stamford Bridge but I think coming to our place is a pretty crazy place to come for teams like this and I think we might have the edge on them," O'Brien said.

In addition to their cup run, Wrexham are looking to achieve a historic fourth consecutive promotion from National League to Premier League.

But O'Brien says they've got the personnel to cope with the rigours of league and cup football:

"The games [come] thick and fast, especially when you're in the FA Cup and with Saturday-Tuesday or Friday-Wednesday or whatever they want to put us at the moment. [But] we've got a good squad to rotate and build."

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Phil Parkinson says it is difficult to be frustrated with his players given their efforts in Wrexham's 2-2 draw with Bristol City.

The Red Dragons twice led at Ashton Gate thanks to Ollie Rathbone's first half effort and a Joe Williams own goal on 76 minutes.

But impressive strikes from substitutes Sinclair Armstrong and Max Bird earned the Robins a point as both sides missed the chance to move into the Championship's play-off places.

"It's very difficult to be frustrated with the way the lads have played tonight," said Parkinson.

"I don't think we can ask much more of the lads tonight," he added.

Rathbone's sixth goal of the campaign came in just his 14th appearance across all competitions since mid-December.

And Parkinson feels the midfielder is back to his best having been a regular in his side again over the past two months.

"He's fresh now, he's got plenty of running in his legs and it was a brilliant goal," the Wrexham boss added.

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Wrexham legend Mickey Thomas says their FA Cup fifth-round home tie against Chelsea could be a "good distraction" for Phil Parkinson's side.

But the former Wales striker, who also counts Chelsea among his former clubs, is confident Parkinson will ensure minds are fully focused on the task in the Championship at Bristol City tonight.

"Is [the Chelsea tie] a distraction? It is in a way, but it could be a good distraction to keep the momentum going," Thomas told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast

"Bristol City tonight is a massive game. They have to focus on that. Phil Parkinson will have them up and ready for that game, no question about that.

"But with Chelsea the build-up and that, it will be slightly a distraction for them. Hopefully they can focus on the main priority that is getting to that Premier League."

At 37 years of age in January 1992, Thomas famously sent Arsenal out of the FA Cup at Stok Cae Ras with a long-range free kick.

That was one of the competition's most famous shocks and Thomas expects more as the 2025-26 version continues.

"You know it will happen, not sure where, but it will happen and obviously the game now against my former team, Chelsea, it's a great draw for everyone.

"Unfortunately, only 10,500 can get inside the stadium, so we could sell that three times over for sure, but it's not the case at this moment in time."

Thomas feels Chelsea have won the competition enough times - eight - so will not have split loyalties when they head to north Wales on the weekend of 7 March.

"Eight times winners of the FA Cup – they don't need to win it any more," said Thomas.

"Chelsea will be favourites, no question about that, fifth in the Premier League and they've got some wonderful players, probably the best player in the Premier League in Cole Palmer.

"It's going to be a great game. And, I said before, they'll say it again, anything can happen in the FA cup.

"No one's favourite. When that whistle blows on that day no one knows who will win because form goes out the window."

Thomas, an iconic figure at the club now owned by Hollywood stars Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds, is upbeat about the side's prospects for the Chelsea encounter and beyond.

"I'm not worried about the game, I'm really not. Because if you look at the game, I'm confident in terms of what Wrexham have available.

"They've got a huge squad, a fantastic manager, and they've got the two magicians, not the magic man, that Mickey Thomas, it's Rob and Ryan now.

"They're doing things with Wrexham that no one could believe is happening."

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Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson says his side will need to bring their "A-game" if they are to get a result away at Bristol City on Tuesday evening (19:45 GMT).

Both sides begin the day narrowly outside the Championship's top six, and a win for either club would see them move into the play-off places.

Wrexham are chasing a fifth consecutive away win for the first time since 2003, when they achieved the feat in the fourth tier of English football.

And with hopes of a fourth-consecutive promotion in the balance, Parkinson recognised the challenge awaiting them - both on Tuesday evening and the rest of the season.

"It's where you are at the end of the season that counts," said Parkinson.

"They're in the mix, so are we. It is a game against another team who have been up there for a while.

"Every game has got an edge to it because there are so many teams in contention, the whole division has a lot to play for.

"It's a great challenge going to these established teams, but we're concentrating on ourselves and how we keep improving."

Wrexham are looking to complete the double over the Robins having run out 2-0 winners in the reverse fixture at the Stok Cae Ras in November.

A win would see Parkinson's side climb above Derby and Preston into sixth place on 50 points.

But the Wrexham boss says that will only happen if they are at their best at Ashton Gate.

"They've got a lot of players who have been at this level a long time and experienced being in the top six," Parkinson added.

"On their day they are very good, but we are a match for anyone. It's the details which will separate the sides on the night.

"We need to go down there and bring our A-game. Nothing less than that will be good enough."

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Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has pledged not to discuss his side's plum home FA Cup fifth round tie against Chelsea.

The Championship play-off hopefuls were drawn against the Premier League side in the next round of the competition on Monday night.

Before the draw was made, Parkinson was asked about how he and the club would react in the event of a home tie.

He replied: "We said after [beating] Ipswich that if we can get a third home draw on the bounce that will be brilliant for us... but when the draw is out the way I won't be talking about the FA Cup until the next four league games are out the way.

"It is stages in the club's development or re-emergence as a football club going into these stages of the FA Cup.

"We wanted to play a Premier League team, we hadn't done that since I had been here and we played [Nottingham] Forest, it was a brilliant night and test for us.

"All along it is about testing ourselves as a group and keep putting markers down. Whoever it is we will be ready."

Versatile George Thomason said: "If we can get the Racecourse rocking then that will always add an advantage to ourselves, but all the lads are buzzing.

"Being in this round shows how far the club has come in such a short space of time.

"Thankfully we are in a position where we can compete against anyone, especially at home. I have no doubt the whole town will be rocking."