Rovers back on the road at Cambridge United

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Tranmere head to Cambridge on Saturday for the first of two away games in four days.

Cambridge United currently sit 19th in League Two with only a seven point cushion between themselves and the relegation zone.

However, despite the close proximity to the drop, you’d expect them to be safe this season. Three teams sit between them and the drop-zone, with Morecambe, Yeovil and Port Vale separating them from danger.

Rovers will travel to Port Vale on Tuesday night, so while back-to-back away games may usually fill Tranmere fans with a sense of dread, we have to look at them as winnable. Easier said than done.

Form

Tranmere’s current form is not great. Just two wins this calendar year has seen Rovers slip from a potential automatic promotion chase to outside contenders for the play-offs, though the coming days will shape that considerably.

Rovers have only won three league games away from Prenton Park this season, but if we’re being honest, we may have deserved slightly more from some games; think Notts County, Macclesfield and Swindon to name three.

Cambridge are in decent form at the moment, in fact the League Two form table over the last six matches has them sitting in fifth position. They’ve won four of their last six.

They’re pretty handy at home too. Over the last ten home matches, Cambridge have the eighth best form in the division having taken 20 points from 30 available. This one isn’t going to be easy.

Team news

Tranmere’s injury problems continue for this one with midfielder Ollie Banks still struggling with concussion following a bizarre incident during the warm-up last week.

Banks was behind the goal signing autographs while team mates were practising shooting. A wayward Connor Jennings effort struck Banks in the side of the head and certainly left its mark – it was a piledriver!

So Banks is a doubt. Skipper Steve McNulty is out with injury, he’s still struggling with an achilles injury. On-loan defender Sid Nelson (above) is also going to sit this one out having broken his nose in BOTH of his first two appearances for the club. How’s your luck?!

Micky Mellon must decide whether to continue with the 4-4-2 formation he has used in the last two matches, or whether to revert to something more defensive. In fairness, Rovers have been shipping bucket loads of goals away from home all season, so we may as well set up to score them instead!

If he sticks with the 4-4-2, Chris Dagnall will again be among the subs while Connor Jennings and James Norwood continue upfront.

Big striker Ishmael Miller remains side-lined with a hamstring injury. He will struggle to play again this season you’d have thought after picking up the injury in the first half of his home debut.

Where’s that luck we talk of?

Last time we met

James Norwood taps home the winner during the Sky Bet League Two match between Tranmere and Cambridge United (Richard Ault)

It’s a chance for Tranmere to complete the double over Cambridge following a narrow 1-0 home win against them earlier this season. A solitary goal from that man James Norwood secured the points as he tapped home from close range (above).

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