Wrexham AFC’s centerpiece Paul Mullin has ended a long-term lower-back/hamstring problem after undergoing a minor spinal surgery in June. Per a Wrexham AFC statement, the star striker has been facing the issue for three years and employed conservative treatment to tackle it. The club later discovered in the off-season that surgery was the best way forward to ensure Mullin’s fitness. Since Mullin is in a long recovery process, the Welsh club announced that he will miss its coveted pre-season tour to the United States and Canada.

Wrexham, spearheaded by coach Phil Parkinson, is relentlessly searching for ace strikers to power its frontline. This hints that the Red Dragons are preparing for alternatives in the event of Paul Mullin’s recovery being prolonged.

Which games will Paul Mullin miss and what’s the update on his return?

Wrexham’s US tour starts on July 20, as they face the Premier League’s Bournemouth in Santa Barbara. Then, the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney-owned club faces PL giants Chelsea in Santa Clara, four days later. The Red Dragons round off their North American tour by traveling to Canada to face the MLS’s Vancouver Whitecaps. Announcing the latest update on Paul Mullin, Wrexham has confirmed that the star forward will miss all three matches of their North American tour.

Besides this, certain reports suggest that Mullin will miss a few matches in Wrexham’s early EFL League One schedule. The Welsh club will kick-start their League One campaign on August 10. The club’s statement on Mullin said, “There is no timeframe as yet on Mullin’s return.” Notably, during the last season also, the 29-year-old sat out Wrexham’s initial league matches after puncturing his lung in a pre-season friendly against Manchester United. Anyhow, the doctors with the club insisted on Mullin’s surgery because Wrexham needs him fully fit during the 2024-25 campaign.

So there is no chance for him to miss a large part of the 24-25 season. However, spinal surgeries usually take three to four months to recover. In a move to survive in Mullin’s potentially prolonged absence, Parkinson and Co. are heavily searching for new strikers.

Potential strikers who could temporarily compensate for Mullin’s absence

Wrexham’s forward line already brims with star power. It houses heavyweights such as Steven Fletcher and Ollie Palmer, besides Paul Mullin. But Mullin’s absence is a big void, as he has solely dominated the front line by becoming the team’s top scorer in three straight seasons. Hence, Phil Parkinson is vying for Millwall striker Tom Bradshaw’s signature. Bradshaw was Millwall’s top scorer, two seasons back and has been on Parkinson’s radar since 2018. Wigan Athletic striker Stephen Humphrys is another star forward on the Red Dragons’ radar.

Though the Dragons are facing intense competition from clubs such as Birmingham City to sign Humphrys, rumors suggest that Humphrys is inclined to Wrexham. With or without Paul Mullin, it is a given that Wrexham needs a high-octane forward force to do well in League One’s competitive space. Mullin’s impending absence in the beginning only calls for the club’s Hollywood owners to immediately splurge on a lethal attacker.