It's a squad game for Wrexham AFC and Reds' ace Windass

Player of the year Windass has missed the first three games of the season with a calf injury.

Wrexham brought 13 players in 12 months and took time to get used to the rigours of Championship football in what was their first season in tier two for 43 years.

“I don’t think people realise how many new players we had on the pitch last year, and maybe that’s why it took until Christmas for us to gel and start playing well,” Windass told the Daily Mail.

“We’ve got 98 per cent of the team still here, we’re all used to playing with each other and we get on great. The new signings have settled in seamlessly, so we’re going to have a good chance.”

Windass, who arrived from troubled Sheffield Wednesday before the start of last season, played his part in Wrexham’s quest for an unprecedented fourth promotion in a row.

Playing in the number 10 role, he finished top scorer with 17 goals in all competitions, earning him the player of the season award.

But although the 32-year-old enjoyed a successful season, he admits it was disappointing not to seal a play-off spot after drawing 2-2 at home to high-flying Middlesbrough on the final day.

“I was disappointed we didn’t make the play-offs as that was our aim,’ Windass says. ‘But I try and do as best as I can and, as a number 10, you want to score and set up goals.

“From Christmas onwards we were one of the top three or four teams in the league and, once you’ve got the proof you can do it (it’s massive). If we’d have done that all season, we’d have had a good chance of promotion.”