Sports Mole previews Tuesday’s EFL Cup clash between Wrexham and Reading, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Wrexham will be looking to reach the fourth round of the EFL Cup for the first time in nearly five decades when they welcome Reading to the Racecourse Ground this Tuesday night.
The match will mark a special occasion for Red Dragons manager Phil Parkinson, who played for the Royals for over a decade during the 1990s and the early 2000s.
Match previewIn order to find Wrexham’s last appearance in the third round of the EFL Cup, you have to travel back all the way to 1982. However, if you want to find their last win in such a fixture, you will have to go back another decade.
The history books are not in Wrexham’s favour as the club prepares for their latest test. Fortunately for the club, history books have not mattered in recent years, with the side currently writing a bold new chapter under their influential Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
The Red Dragons have enjoyed an epic rise from the National League to the Championship in recent times, with manager Parkinson doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Despite that incredible achievement, the 57-year-old still faced recent sack rumours following a mixed start to the new season.
The Welsh side picked up one point from their opening three Championship games but bounced back with a couple of recent wins; their latest success was a 3-2 victory over Norwich City away at Carrow Road – a result which not only gave Parkinson breathing room but also a chance to hit back at his critics.
In a post-match interview, the 57-year-old said: “My message to everybody in football is that four years ago we came to East Anglia – it was King’s Lynn away in front of 800 people.
“Today we’ve turned up at Carrow Road in front of 26,000 against a really good team with a top manager and come away with a victory. That’s how far we’ve come so quickly, and people sometimes forget that.”
Having proved his point against Norwich, Parkinson will now be looking to keep the momentum train going when he welcomes his old side to the Racecourse Ground.
Reading are not expected to be easy opposition despite heading into the fixture on the back of a disappointing start to the new campaign – one which has seen manager Noel Hunt come under increasing pressure.
The Royals have lost two of their last three games across all competitions but have also won three of their last five –including a 2-1 success over Leyton Orient on Saturday which moved them out of the relegation zone.
Whatever the situation may be on the field, Reading fans are simply glad to have their club in seemingly safe hands once again.
Unlike Wrexham, the Royals went through a torrid time in recent years under the ownership of Chinese businessman Dai Yongge, who left the club after being disqualified by the English Football League.
Reading were taken over by Rob Couhig and Todd Trosclair in May 2025, which gave the club some sense of stability for the first time in years. While the duo may not be as glamorous or media savvy as Wrexham’s Hollywood duo, Reading fans are just as hopeful for their future.
When it comes to matters on the pitch, Reading are preparing for their first third-round EFL Cup clash since 2020 – the club have not reached the fourth round since 2017, and they will be hoping to end that wait when they travel to the Racecourse Ground.
Wrexham EFL Cup form:
W W
Wrexham form (all competitions):
L D W W L W
Reading EFL Cup form:
W W
Reading form (all competitions):
D W W L L W
Team News
Liberato Cacace remains on the Wrexham injury list ahead of Tuesday’s fixture, with the player struggling to find any momentum since moving from Empoli in the summer.
The wing-back picked up a hamstring injury against Southampton on the opening day of the season but returned against Millwall at the end of August. His comeback was short-lived, as the Italian went on to injure his other hamstring, leaving him on the sidelines.
Josh Windass marked his return from a hamstring injury last weekend by scoring two goals against Norwich. George Thomason also marked his return from a thigh injury, featuring for the final 15 minutes of the match.
Oliver Rathbone has been on the sidelines after picking up an ankle injury during pre-season, but Wrexham’s 2024-25 player of the season is nearing a return, according to Parkinson.
Danny Ward (elbow), Jay Rodriguez (leg) and Andy Cannon (knee) are all long-term absentees and will not be involved on Tuesday.
Reading are expected to be without Paudie O’Connor, who has been struggling with a calf problem since the start of the season.
Kelvin Abrefa has missed Reading’s last two games through injury, while Andy Yiadom is yet to play a single minute of competitive action after struggling with a knee problem.
Wrexham possible starting lineup: Okonkwo; Doyle, Hyam, Cleworth; Longman, O’Brien, Sheaf, Dobson, Kabore; Windass; Moore
Reading possible starting lineup: Pereira; Dorsett, Williams, Burns, Ahmed; Savage, Wing, Fraser; Kyerewaa, Marriott, Lane
We say: Wrexham 2-1 ReadingBoth teams have produced a mixed set of results since the start of the season, but there is no doubt who the big favourites are this Tuesday night.
Wrexham have pumped serious money into their squad over the summer, and they are expected to progress. While we are backing Reading to provide a certain level of resistance, we are siding with the Red Dragons to get the win.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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