27 July 2023 , 22:52
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Wrexham's Ben Foster went into the Manchester United dressing room to console young Nathan Bishop after the goalkeeper's challenge left Paul Mullin with a major injury.
The Welsh side beat a young United side during their pre-season tour of America, but it was a clash between Bishop and Wrexham's leading light that grabbed the headlines. The collision left Mullin with a punctured lung and he will now miss the opening weeks of the season.
Bishop was upset and Foster, who previously played for the Red Devils, headed into the United dressing room to seek out his opposite number. The gesture from the veteran was greatly appreciated by the Premier League side, who were frustrated by the reaction of Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson.
Foster though was full of kind words for Bishop as he said: “I feel so bad for Nathan, he’s absolutely heartbroken. I passed Paul’s number onto Nathan so he can get in touch with him. He’s absolutely gutted, I feel for the lad.”
Mullin had to be taken to a hospital in San Diego but posted a picture of himself on the road to recovery. His injury though will sideline him for a lengthy period which is a major blow to the Welsh side given the forward scored 47 times last season en route to promotion.
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Parkinson didn't hide his anger after full-time as he said: “I’m fuming about it, I’ve got to be honest with you. It was a clumsy, reckless challenge in a pre-season game and I’m not happy with it at all. I haven’t seen the goalie and he’s probably best steering clear of us for the time being because we’re not very happy.
Paul Mullin was involved in a nasty incident with Nathan Bishop (Getty Images)“It’s a clumsy challenge from the goalkeeper, I’m disappointed with that. It should have been a straight red. If it’s not denying a goalscoring opportunity it’s still a dangerous challenge so if you add the two scenarios together he should have been off the pitch.”
Wrexham begin their League Two campaign against MK Dons next weekend as they attempt to go from the National League to League One in two seasons - a feat rarely achieved. Mullin's injury though may force the wealthy outfit into the transfer market as they seek more firepower.
“It’s a dangerous challenge and obviously Paul Mullin is our talisman,” added the Wrexham manager. “The way the lads responded after that I thought was outstanding. That’s what we’re all about as a group – resilience, sticking together. And that’s what we showed. We’ve only just come off the pitch. We’ll assess things tonight, find out the extent of the injury and then make decisions accordingly. We’ve got options but we can’t hide away from it. Mulls is an outstanding player."