Matty James says he is continuing to manage his back injury but hopes to be on the cusp of a return to action for Wrexham.

The midfielder missed recent Championship games against Derby and West Bromwich Albion after receiving an epidural for an ongoing back problem during the international break.

But having returned to training since sustaining the issue, James feels he is now nearing a comeback to match action.

"It was just a minor one," he said of the injury.

"It's not been too long in terms of training-wise, but I had to have an injection before the Derby game, which ruled me out of them two games.

"I've started doing some individual work now, and I'm back on the grass, so we'll see how I react."

The 35-year-old added: "I feel alright, to be fair. It's an ongoing thing that I've had for a few years, so it's manageable. I'm quite relaxed about it.

"It's just making sure that when I come back, I come back properly and I'm not in too much discomfort."

While there is uncertainty over James' availability for Saturday's fixture with Preston North End in north Wales (15:00 BST), boss Phil Parkinson said he does not expect any of his injured players to return against the Lilywhites.

James, Josh Windass, Ben Sheaf, Nathan Broadhead, Max Cleworth, George Thomason and Liberato Cacace have all been absent of late.

On his side's injury situation, Parkinson said: "That, at the moment, is not going to get any better as we go into a free week next week.

"We're just focusing on the players we've got available and how we can make the team a stronger and more impactful one going one way, and more secure in certain situations defensively."