Wrexham suffer Ward blow as Wales goalkeeper faces surgery

Danny Ward started all four Championship games for Wrexham before injury

Wrexham will be without goalkeeper Danny Ward for a number of weeks after it was confirmed the Wales international faces surgery for a dislocated elbow.

Ward suffered the injury during Wrexham's Championship win over Millwall last weekend.

The 32-year-old was also knocked unconscious and damaged elbow ligaments when he fell awkwardly.

It immediately ruled him out of Wales' World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan in Astana on Thursday.

He will also be unavailable when Wrexham return to league action after the international break so the club has signed former triallist Reuben Egan as extra temporary cover.

Manager Phil Parkinson had said he had "feared the worst" after the game at the New Den, but has now accepted the summer signing will be out for a "significant period".

"I think the specialist has said we won't know until he has actually done the operation and put a timescale on that, but obviously it is a serious injury and our thoughts are with Danny," Parkinson told the Evening Leader.

Ward was Wrexham's first signing of a record-breaking summer transfer window, returning to his hometown club on a free after a seven-year spell at Leicester City.

The former Liverpool stopper had started all of Wrexham's Championship games before the injury. Arthur Okonkwo replaced Ward at Millwall, with the double promotion winner now in line to take the number one spot when Wrexham welcome Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, 13 September.

Reuben Egan plugs gap

Former Cambridge United and Plymouth Argyle keeper Callum Burton is Parkinson's other senior goalkeeping option.

The Wrexham boss has been swift to sign cover for Ward with Irish free agent Egan joining on a six-month deal.

Parkinson said Wrexham had been looking for a goalkeeper "in the under-21 age bracket" and the 20-year-old former Tranmere Rovers and Athlone stopper fits the bill.

Egan said: "It's an ideal place to be for a young player like myself.

"The trajectory of the club is record-breaking, it's amazing, it just makes it an ideal place to come and grow as a player."