Wrexham striker Windass ruled out of Leeds United friendly amid injury setback
The 32-year-old, who finished last season as the club’s top scorer, remains sidelined as Wrexham prepare for Sunday’s match in Tampa.
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has confirmed that forward Josh Windass will miss the club’s upcoming pre-season friendly against Leeds United following a setback in his recovery from a calf injury. The 32-year-old, who concluded the 2025-26 season as the club’s top scorer with 17 goals across all competitions, has been absent from Wrexham’s summer tour matches to date.
Windass did not feature in the Red Dragons’ previous fixtures against Wisla Krakow, which ended in a goalless draw, nor in their 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Helsinki, where Sam Smith scored the winning goal. Despite being part of the 28-man squad that has travelled to the United States, Parkinson confirmed the forward would not be available for Sunday’s fixture at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
"He's had a setback with his calf injury, which is a shame for Josh but that is part and parcel of football," Parkinson said. Windass had been in strong form towards the end of the previous campaign, netting seven goals in his final eight Championship appearances.
The manager indicated that while the result against Manchester United provided positive momentum, the focus for the Leeds United match remains on tactical development rather than personnel selection. Parkinson noted that it is difficult to fully predict the team shape ahead of the game against Daniel Farke’s side, emphasizing the need to replicate the positives from the Helsinki win while respecting Leeds' strengths.
Wrexham’s US tour continues with a fixture against Liverpool at Yankee Stadium in New York on 30 July, followed by a match against former club Sunderland at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, on 2 August. The Pennsylvania fixture holds particular significance as it is the home state of Wrexham co-owner Rob Mac. Parkinson expressed gratitude for the tour facilities and the opportunity to integrate new squad members into the pre-season programme.
