Are Wrexham Newport's warm-up act for Manchester United?

The north Walians have got used to being the biggest show in town in recent years courtesy of their Hollywood owners, Disney documentary and deep pockets.

"Winning on Shrewsbury’s big day out," Wrexham's official account posted on X after they beat their League One neighbours in the FA Cup in Shropshire earlier this month.

Saturday is still a big deal – Rodney Parade will be packed and the Exiles are hunting swift revenge after being overpowered in the second half at the Racecourse – but the biggest deal is a week on Sunday.

It’s Manchester United that are causing the ticket office to have kittens and for preparations to be made for remaining seats going on general sale on Monday.

Season ticket holders and Trust members are guaranteed tickets for the first ever game against the Red Devils until next week but that didn’t stop a queue forming in minus temperatures at 7.30am on Thursday morning, punters turning up with camp chairs and Thermos flasks.

Touts are rarely seen at Rodney Parade but they will be on street corners over the next two weekends thanks to the exploits in Eastleigh on Tuesday.

The Wrexham game was ringed in the calendar by County fans on fixture release day in June but now it’s almost a warm-up.

Graham Coughlan certainly won’t be saying that at his Friday morning press conference but the players are only human, they will have fears of a hamstring twinge or a red card putting them out of the FA Cup clash with Manchester United.

County headed to Wrexham in December for a Welsh battle (Image: Press Association)

The atmosphere will be intense on Saturday afternoon –there is no better place to be on such occasions than the old stand on Rodney Road – and there are still Welsh bragging rights up for grabs.

It’s not quite ‘just another game’ and in a sense it’s good for County's squad that they have Wrexham rather than Crawley, Accrington or Sutton. They will be fired-up come 3pm and there is no chance of anybody going through the motions.

It's highly likely that this will be the last league meeting between the clubs for at least one season, probably more.

Wrexham are looking good to go up and County have a slight chance of a play-off push, but that's probably fanciful.

Saturday's visitors will look to get the job done and then hunt a third promotion on the spin to ensure Cardiff and Swansea are their south Wales 'derbies'.

Here are four words you don't hear too often – fair play to Wrexham.

They have taken the leap to League Two in their stride, something that Stockport can confirm is big after their slow start cost them last season.

The Gogs have the quality that you would expect for their budget but, as Salford, Colchester and countless others show, you can't buy team spirit.

Wrexham celebrate in their win against Newport County at the Racecourse (Image: Press Association)

They are clearly a tight bunch, with Phil Parkinson recruiting the right characters, and have dug out plenty of results to put themselves in prime position for the top three.

One imagines it will be Stockport, Wrexham and Mansfield heading up to League One automatically but the Exiles can lob a spanner in the works before getting ready for United.

Three points would stretch further away from the relegation scrap and boost the bid for a top-half finish, and potentially more.

But whatever happens against Wrexham, it’s a week on Sunday against Rashford, Martinez, Varane and Fernandes that will provide the standout memories from 2023/24.

LIVELY: James Waite has played well off the bench for County in recent weeks (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

ROTATION?

Coughlan gave rare starts to midfielder James Waite and forward Kiban Rai at Doncaster then restored Harry Charsley and Seb Palmer-Houlden for Eastleigh.

The boss insisted that the decision was made to freshen up the side – with Waite in particular earning his chance thanks to strong outings off the bench – rather than having one eye on the cup.

Saturday is a third game in eight days and then the Exiles have a long preparation week for Manchester United.

County aren’t blessed with a wealth of options and the importance of the Wrexham game means the boss is likely to ask the Eastleigh starters to go again, then rest up.

Waite is a possible inclusion again while Lewis Payne could be restored to the XI after dropping out of the starting line-up to allow Adam Lewis to work back to full fitness after a quad injury.

County started with the Liverpool loanee at left-back at both Doncaster and Eastleigh before replacing him at half-time in a planned move, with Payne introduced and Shane McLoughlin switching sides.

That allowed Coughlan to be in control of the amount of minutes Lewis got and keep his three stoppages for substitutions (remember, Crewe finished the game with 10 men in December due to injury after Lee Bell fell foul of that rule).

However, the boss will be selecting his best XI for the job rather than protecting his key men.