Peterborough United could be suited by 'massive underdogs' tag and manager discusses selection issues

It’s a battle between a team with a superb home record against one with dismal form on the road. It’s a contest between a relentless attacking force who fire crosses into the opposition penalty area at will and a team whose defending of crosses from open play and set pieces has often been lamentable.

Ferguson, who returns to the club he spent nine years at as a player while racking up over 300 appearances, accepts the Wrexham strengths match up well against the Posh weaknesses, but he dismissed any suggestions his Posh team will be no-hopers at the Racecourse Ground.

Posh go into the game on the back of picking up four points from a possible 21. They drew 2-2 at bottom club Burton Albion after falling behind 2-0 early on.

“It is a really tough game for us against a team with such a strong home record and who are so good at the way they play,” Ferguson admitted. “They are a very powerful side, but it’s wrong to say it would be a miracle if we won there as that certainly wouldn’t be the case. We have to go up there and focus on what we do well. Maintaining an attacking threat will be crucial to our chances.

"It might suit us to be massive underdogs, although it’s also true we have to improve massively. We haven’t been good enough at stopping crosses coming into our penalty area which is something we just have to get right tomorrow. My job is to give the players the belief they can get a result and when you have a set of players who clearly care and are really trying to turn things around as we have you always have a chance.

"No question we had a bad Christmas period and that is always a pivotal time of the season as there are so many points to play for in games that come around quickly. There were some positives from our last game, but we have no targets other than to make the second-half of the season better than the first half and I’m confident that will happen. I’m not setting targets as in our position we have to literally take one game at a time.”

Posh are monitoring the fitness levels of a few players before making a final selection for the Wrexham game. Ferguson suggested after the game at Burton Albion on New Year’s Day in-form number 10 Chris Conn-Clarke might not manage three games in quick succession which would open the door for a return for Joel Randall.

Swedish striker Gustav Lindgren is another player being assessed. He is available for the first time on Saturday, but the manager is mindful of a long season for Lindgren in his homeland.

Right-back Sam Curtis has returned to parent club Sheffield United at the request of ‘The Blades’ which gives Jadel Katongo or James Dornelly the chance of a recall to the starting line-up.