WREXHAM could be without influential Trinidad international Carlos Edwards this evening as they bid to clinch a place in the final of the LDV Vans Trophy.

The wing-back picked up a hamstring strain during Saturday's 6-4 win at Hartlepool United and will have a fitness test shortly before the kick-off against Oldham Athletic, who arrive at the Racecourse trailing by two goals following the Dragons' 5-3 victory at Boundary Park last month in the first leg of the northern area final.

If Edwards misses out, Race-course manager Denis Smith will have to choose between teenager Simon Spender or veteran defender Scott Green to fill the gap and must also decide whether to recall defender Craig Morgan, who sat out the weekend trip to Victoria Park through suspension.

"Carlos did not train this morning because of a tight hamstring and we'll find out tomorrow what the situation is," said the Dragons boss.

" Fortunately Dennis Lawrence and Andy Holt, who had neck and hip problems respectively after Saturday, are both okay."

Morgan, whose place at Hartlepool was taken by Shaun Pejic, is not guaranteed an automatic recall, even though Smith was less than happy with Wrexham's defensive display.

"I thought Shaun Pejic was the best of the three central defenders," he added..

"Because we were attacking so much, there was a question mark for some of the Hartlepool goals about the defensive work put in by people playing further forward.

"But with eight players still missing through injury, I haven't got too many choices available to me.

"These are the lads who have lost only one game in the last 11, which is not bad by any standards given the problems we've got at this club."

Despite Wrexham's two-goal cushion from the first leg, Smith does not anticipate an easy ride against a rejuvenated Oldham, who gave new manager Ronnie Moore a 3-0 winning start against Port Vale on Saturday.

"I'd like to think we can score a goal because that wouldn't half give them a problem and take their job up another level," he added..

"They need to win and they have got to beat us by three clear goals, so sooner or later they've got to attack.

"When that happens we have the play-ers who can exploit the spaces - as we proved on Saturday.

"We have already put ourselves in a very good position to go through to the final, but it's not over by a long way.

"They have a new manager and he'll make a difference because that always happens. He'll come in and dispel the negatives that have been going around the club in recent months.

"Ronnie will be positive and it's when things have been going wrong that managers earn their money."

For all his years in the managerial hot-seat, the Dragons boss has yet to lead out a team in a major final, but he insisted he was not looking beyond this evening.

"It's people like yourselves in the media and the fans who build up these things," he said.

"The closest I've been to something like this was when I took Sunderland to a play-off at Newcastle and we won 2-0 at St James' Park..

"But I go out to win every game of football we play so I believe I'm capable of having the right mental approach for us to go through.

"I'm not thinking about the financial side of things right now but if we are through on Wednesday morning I'll be sitting down with people to talk about what we are going to do.

"Until that happens all I'm concentrating on is making sure that we win the game tomorrow."

Oldham are forced into one change from their weekend line-up, former Wrexham loanee Chris Killen missing a return trip to the Racecourse through injury. He is likely to be replaced up front by Rodney Jack.

Boundary Park boss Moore welcomes back midfielder Mark Hughes and winger Kevin Betsy after suspension. DeenniissSSmmiitthh