Wrexham's first season back in the EFL commences this Saturday afternoon, when they take on MK Dons at the Racecourse Ground.
The Red Dragons won promotion from the National League in dramatic style last season, and their first season in League Two since 2008-09 gets underway against MK Dons, who were relegated from League One in the 2022-23 campaign.
Match preview
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Wrexham were embroiled in one of the fifth tier's most dramatic title races last season, and they ultimately came out on top, picking up an astounding 111 points across the campaign, setting a new record.
The defining moment in the Red Dragons' season came against title-rivals Notts County back in April, emerging as 3-2 winners at the Racecourse Ground in a nail-biting encounter, with Ben Foster saving a stoppage-time Cedwyn Scott penalty to secure all three points.
Phil Parkinson's side will be hoping to compete right near the top of the table in League Two this season as well, backed by the might of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, and they have put in some quality performances in pre-season.
The Welsh side headed over to the USA for their pre-season, and they did not get off to the best of starts, losing 5-0 against Chelsea, but they went on to defeat youthful LA Galaxy and Man United sides, before drawing against Philadelphia Union.
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MK Dons did not have as exciting a 2022-23 campaign as their opponents, ultimately being relegated from League One, after failing to win a single one of their final eight games.
The Dons only narrowly missed out on automatic promotion from the third tier in the 2021-22 season, so it was a severe drop off last term, and they are now set to embark on their first League Two campaign since 2018-19.
To give the club the best possible chance of returning to the third tier at the first opportunity, owner Pete Winkelman has appointed Graham Alexander, who has experience gaining promotion from League Two, guiding Fleetwood Town to a playoff final victory in 2014.
There has been a fair few changes to the squad since Alexander's arrival, with the likes of Josh McEachran, Sullay Kaikai and Bradley Johnson exiting Stadium MK, while Craig MacGillivray, Alex Gilbey, Tommy Smith and Cameron Norman have been brought in.
Although the main aim of pre-season is to get match fit ahead of competitive action, Alexander may be a little concerned that his new arrivals have not helped yield any positive results, with MK Dons losing four and drawing one of their friendlies.
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Team News
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Wrexham will be without striker Paul Mullin, who scored a remarkable 38 league goals last season, as the 28-year-old suffered a punctured lung in the friendly against Manchester United after colliding with Nathan Bishop.
As such, Ollie Palmer and Sam Dalby could the line for the Red Dragons, with the duo scoring a combined 22 National League goals in the 2022-23 campaign.
The Welsh side have been very quiet in the transfer market, but they have snapped up centre-back Will Boyle on a three-year deal from Huddersfield Town, who could be in line to make his first appearance for the club this weekend.
As for MK Dons, new goalkeeper MacGillivray is poised to make his first appearance for the club between the sticks, having featured regularly in their pre-season matches, with Gilbey set to be handed a start in central midfield.
Although the Dons endured a very disappointing 2022-23 campaign, striker Mo Eisa had another solid campaign on a personal level, netting 11 league goals, and the 29-year-old should lead the line for the visitors.
Wrexham possible starting lineup:
Foster; Hayden, Tozer, O'Connell, Mendy, Cleworth; O'Connor, Jones, Lee; Palmer, Dalby
MK Dons possible starting lineup:
MacGillivray; Harvie, O'Hora, Norman, Tucker; Williams, Robson, Gilbey, Robson, Leko; Eisa
We say: Wrexham 2-1 MK Dons
Wrexham are riding the crest of a wave at the moment, and they should be backed by a huge crowd at the Racecourse Ground in their first EFL game since 2009, while MK Dons have not performed well in pre-season.
As such, we expect the hosts to kick off their first game of the season with a victory, building momentum ahead of what should be another season where they are battling for promotion.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
