Arthur Okonkwo’s brutal jaw injury features on Welcome to Wrexham, with the on-loan goalkeeper suffering a huge bone crack under his mouth.
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Goalkeeper involved in heavy collisionReturned to action in protective braceHelped Red Dragons to promotionGettyWHAT HAPPENED?
The 22-year-old, who joined the Red Dragons from Premier League giants Arsenal, took a heavy blow to his face during a League Two clash with Harrogate on November 28. He was forced back to north London for treatment and missed almost a month of action.
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Okonkwo returned to Wrexham with a protective brace in place, allowing him to rejoin a promotion bid that ultimately delivered a runners-up finish. He joined the party in Las Vegas since then, which was funded by Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
DID YOU KNOW?
He is fully recovered from the knock that threatened to derail a promising campaign, with the Welcome to Wrexham documentary series showing how serious his injury was. X-rays taken at the time picked up a giant crack that ran from Okonkwo’s bottom row of teeth and underneath his jaw.
WHAT NEXT?
Wrexham had been hoping that a deal could be done that kept Okonkwo on their books for 2024-25 – as they step up into League One. He may prove to be out of reach for Phil Parkinson’s side, with interest building as he prepares to sever ties with Arsenal as a free agent.