Nathan Jones assesses Wrexham challenge as well as Charlton Athletic returns for trio

Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones will have a host of players he has worked with that he will come up against on Saturday when Wrexham arrive at The Valley.

There are first returns to SE7 for three former Addicks in George Dobson, Elliot Lee and Eoghan O’Connell.

Charlton could not agree new terms with Dobson last season. The club captain – a popular figure with the fans – ended up signing a pre-contract agreement with Fehervar but then cited family reasons for ripping up that agreement and signing instead for Wrexham in the summer.

Midfielder Lee had a season-long loan from Luton Town in the 2021-22 season while centre-back O’Connell had a six-month spell with the Addicks before they sold him to the Welsh club in January 2023.

“There are a lot of players coming back but I’ve got more ex-players (he has worked with) than Charlton have got ex-players playing for Wrexham,” Jones told the South London Press. “I’ve got George Dobson, James McClean, Elliot Lee, Jack Marriott and Eoghan O’Connell, they have all played for me.

“Look, these are players that invariably did well for me. I didn’t have a lot of time with James at Stoke but he always worked hard for me. Elliot was fantastic for me and George did really well for me here.

“It will be good to see them all but, at the end of the day, we want to win a football game. So I don’t really care who the manager and players are, as long as we win the game then we can high five after.”

Charlton have performed impressively at home against two possession-based sides in Bolton Wanderers and Birmingham, winning both.

But Wrexham, second in the table, are 22nd for possession, averaging just 43 per cent per match.

The Addicks are 13th in those particular standings with 49.1 per cent.

“I’m expecting a tough game,” Jones told the South London Press. “We’ll watch them – we have watched them. They are second in the table so they are obviously doing something right.

“They have been promoted twice, so they are obviously doing something right.

“I know what strengths you have when you are a team that has continuity and gets promoted together – you get used to winning games. So it will be really, really tough – regardless of style and how they set up. Regardless of how they take set-plays or how early they get out for kick off – whatever that is it will be a very tough game.

“That is what we’re expecting but we believe we are a very good side brewing. At times we lack a bit of consistency but on our day we show that we can and do beat anyone. What we have to make sure is we’re the best version of ourselves.

“If we are the best versions of ourselves that is all I can ask and all I can worry about.”

PICTURE: PA