Paul Mullin injury: What happened to Wrexham striker, how long he is out & when he will be back

Wrexham faced a huge hit when Paul Mullin suffered a serious injury during pre-season training.

Wrexham won the National League last season and gained promotion back to the Football League, thanks in large part to the goal-scoring exploits of striker Paul Mullin. Last season, the Liverpool native scored 38 goals in 46 appearances for the Red Dragons, and they will need that firepower to survive in League Two.

However, the 28-year-old suffered an unusual injury on Wrexham’s 2023-24 pre-season tour of the United States and now faces a spell on the sidelines as he recovers fully.

Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about Mullin’s injury, plus how long he is expected to be out and the prospective return date.

What injury did Paul Mullin suffer?

Mullin sustained a punctured lung when he collided with Manchester United goalkeeper Nathan Bishop in a pre-season friendly that took place at Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego at the end of July.

The accidental collision occurred just 12 minutes into the game, with Mullin subsequently receiving treatment which necessitated the use of an oxygen mask. He was then taken off and transported to hospital for further treatment.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson was furious with the nature of the challenge, which he described as “clumsy” and “reckless”. “I’m fuming with it,” Parkinson revealed after the game. “I have to be honest about that. It was a clumsy, reckless challenge in a pre-season game. I can’t say any more than the fact I’m not happy with it at all.”

Bishop quickly issued an apology on social media afterwards, admitting that it was “a complete misjudgment” and that he had no malicious intent. “Wishing you the speediest recovery,” said the goalkeeper. “Hope to see you back scoring goals as soon as possible.”

How long will Paul Mullin be out for?

Medical advice generally states that recovery from a punctured lung can take six to eight weeks.

While Mullin is known as ‘Super Paul Mullin’ to Wrexham fans, his powers of recovery are very much human and it is expected that he will miss the next month at least and potentially two months.

The unusual nature of the injury in a football context means that Wrexham physios will be careful not to rush Mullin back to action before he is completely ready. However, each individual recovers at their own pace and it is possible that Mullin’s recovery time could be quicker or slower than generally prescribed.

Internal injuries arising from collisions are relatively rare occurrences in football, but they can sometimes happen. For example, in 2010, former Everton and Brighton defender Shane Duffy suffered a lacerated artery after colliding with a goalkeeper during international duty. Duffy required emergency surgery to save his life and, remarkably, he was able to continue his playing career a number of months later.

Mullin was discharged from the hospital a day after the accident, but remained convalescent in California while the team returned to Wales to prepare for their opening League Two match.

Ahead of that game against MK Dons, Mullin expressed his disappointment to be missing out, saying in a Tweet that he was “gutted”.

“To hear that roar when the lads walk out that tunnel would have been special!” said the striker. “The moment you supporters have been waiting for! Hopefully we can kick off the season with a win!”

When will Paul Mullin play for Wrexham again?

If we take the six-to-eight-week recovery period as a guide, it could be September 2023 before Mullin is back in action for Wrexham. That means he is set to miss a number of games in League Two, the Carabao Cup and potentially the Football League Trophy.

Upcoming Wrexham fixtures

We can be sure that he will miss the opening game of the season against MK Dons on August 5, as well as the Carabao Cup first-round match against Wigan Athletic on August 8.

Wrexham also play Wimbledon, Walsall, Swindon Town and Barrow in August. They are scheduled to come up against Tranmere on September 2, with a Football League Cup match against Newcastle United U21s on September 5, followed by a league game against Doncaster on September 9.

In a worst-case scenario, Mullin will be aiming to be back for the September 16 game against Grimsby Town, at which point he will have been on the recovery table for nearly eight weeks.