Wrexham striker Sam Smith has suffered a knee injury that will keep him sidelined for a “significant” period, dealing another blow to manager Phil Parkinson.

The Red Dragons have been left with just one senior striker available, with fellow forwards Josh Windass, Nathan Broadhead and Callum O’Hare also sidelined through injury. That means Kieffer Moore will lead the line in pivotal matches against high-flying Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers this week, with youngster Bailey Cadamarteri also set to feature.

Smith impressed after coming off the bench during Wrexham’s 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United last week, but sustained a knee injury that is now expected to keep him out for the foreseeable future. The 28-year-old will see a specialist Tuesday afternoon, although Parkinson admits there is concern the striker might require surgery.

Wrexham Suffer ‘Significant’ Injury Blow

Smith went down with a knee injury in the second half of Wrexham’s last match, but returned to the pitch after some brief treatment on the touchline. It was not until the day after the defeat that his knee became swollen and the League One promotion hero realized his injury was more serious than first feared.

“Sam Smith has picked up a knee injury in the game at Sheffield, and it looks like he’s going to face a significant period on the sidelines,” Parkinson told Sports Illustrated. “But as I said to the lads, injuries are injuries. We’ve got to find a way in games, like we did against Preston, to come out on top and be effective as a team. It’s a blow for us with Sam. He sees a specialist this afternoon at 4 o’clock, and we’ll know more then.

“It’s best me getting that out there now, when his name doesn’t appear on the team sheet, everybody’s asking tomorrow. He kind of came off against Sheffield, then went back on, carried on, and then his knee swelled up significantly the next day. So we’ll just see how the appointment goes today. The initial thoughts are that he could need surgery, but we’ll know more after today’s appointment.”

Youngster Set to Get His Chance

It doesn’t rain, it pours for Parkinson. The Wrexham manager is under pressure after a run of just three wins all season and now faces two of the Championship’s top three teams this week with only one senior striker available.

Moore has performed well, scoring five goals in 14 appearances, although expectations must be tempered for the 34-year-old, who is also set to feature for Wales during the international break.

Wrexham opted against signing a striker in the summer, with CEO Michael Williamson stating the club was “comfortable” with its options in attack. That decision has come under greater scrutiny amid the injury crisis and the team’s recent switch to a formation that uses two strikers rather than one.

It means Cadamarteri is likely to get an opportunity in attack over the coming weeks, with the 21-year-old having been limited to just four cameo appearances so far this season. His first involvement in a league match this campaign came when he entered in the 70th minute against Watford in August, although he is expected to feature for Jamaica during the upcoming international break.

Smith’s injury is undoubtedly a major setback, but Cadamarteri must view it as the opportunity he has been craving in recent weeks.

“Bailey’s ready and chomping at the bit,” Parkinson added. “With Sam’s injury, he’s going to get opportunities and more game time, which he’s been craving, but he’s trained well. He’s ready ... he has kind of found himself in that next one in scenario (behind Moore and Smith), but I’ve been speaking to him, me and Steve (Parkin) had a lot of sit-down chats with him, he’s brought his agent in for a chat and we said: ‘Look, this is the situation, we bought you in as a young striker to work with you on the training pitch and your moment will come.’”