Paul Mullin punctured his lungs after colliding with Man United goalkeeper

Wrexham striker Paul Mullin suffered a punctured lung during a 3-1 pre-season friendly win over Manchester United in San Diego, California, on Tuesday, July 25.

United fielded a predominantly Under-21 side against Wrexham, with first-team coach Erik ten Hag watching on from the dugout.

The friendly was bad-tempered and aggressive, featuring a slew of yellow cards, one red, a serious injury to Paul Mullin, a half-naked pitch invader, and victory for Phil Parkinson’s League Two team.

Paul Mullin was one of the players fans wanted to see, but he was only able to play for a few minutes following a collision with Manchester United goalkeeper, Nathan Bishop.

Mullin was attempting a header when Bishop challenged him just outside the box in the 11th minute and the two went down. Mullin immediately grabbed his head with his right hand and his left hip with his left hand, and was clearly in pain. He was down for about seven minutes. A stretcher and a cart were sent out and Mullin was surrounded by medical personnel, but he eventually got up and slowly walked off with assistance while wearing an oxygen mask.

It was later revealed by manager Parkinson he suffered a small puncture to his lung.

After Mullin was replaced, fans made their feelings known towards Bishop. He was booed loudly whenever he touched the ball with the San Diego crowd showing their love towards Mullin and Wrexham after their fairytale rise.

Wrexham gained worldwide recognition last season when the Welsh club secured a fairytale return to the English Football League after a 15-year absence. Paul Mullin fired the Dragons back to the Football League for the first time in 15 years with 38 league goals. He also struck nine times in the FA Cup, making him the top scorer in the competition.

The club’s rise in popularity has seen them play pre-season friendlies with top-flight Premier League teams this month. They played Chelsea last week but lost 5-0.