Tranmere Rovers have some good news and bad news on the injury and suspension front going into a really important League One game against AFC Wimbledon this weekend.
Morgan Ferrier should be available after a niggle and family bereavement but Corey Blackett-Taylor will miss out through suspension after his sending off in last week’s 1-0 defeat at Lincoln City.
It’s a huge game for Micky Mellon’s side who are without a win in the league since beating 10-man MK Dons on 2 November.
While there have been positive results in cup competitions, Rovers have struggled to pick up points in the league of late which must be a real concern.
The importance of a home game is big enough, but one against the side directly above Tranmere in the League One table simply adds to that significance and Rovers need to be looking to collect all three points against Glyn Hodges’ team.
As has been the case for much of the season so far, manager Micky Mellon has a number of first team players unavailable.
As part of our build up to the game, let’s take a closer look at who’s not going to be involved at Prenton Park this Saturday.
SCOTT DAVIES
After sustaining a calf injury against Accrington Stanley earlier this month, Rovers will be without their regular number one between the sticks. Davies is likely to be out for another few games at least, with Peterborough goalie Aaron Chapman signed on an emergency week-by-week loan to take his place.
MARK ELLIS
Mark Ellis sustained a knee injury towards the back end of last season and remains absent. It’s likely to be some time yet until we next see the experienced defender in a Rovers shirt on the pitch. A return date of February is the target for the former Shrewsbury Town man.
EVAN GUMBS
Another who picked up a serious knee injury at the end of last term, the young defender is not going to be available for selection until the new year. Again, February is the target when Gumbs might be back to full fitness and ready to challenge for a place in the squad.
OLLIE BANKS
Last week, Micky Mellon reported that the midfielder was making good progress and was ahead of schedule in his rehab following a knee injury sustained in training. He’s back in light training but is not expected to be available for the busy Christmas period.
HARVEY GILMOUR
Another one with a knee injury, Gilmour has been absent for around eight weeks, which was the timeframe initially provided for his rehab. The young midfielder will be looking to be pushing for a place back in the squad in the next couple of weeks having recently returned to light training.
MORGAN FERRIER
The former Walsall man missed the game at Lincoln last Saturday with a little knock but is back in full training and will be available for selection against AFC Wimbledon this weekend.
COREY BLACKETT-TAYLOR
The young former Aston Villa man collected his second red card of the season in last week’s 1-0 loss to Lincoln and so will sit out of this fixture and Boxing Day at Burton Albion with a two-match suspension.
ISHMAEL MILLER
The big striker was enjoying a decent pre-season before pulling up with a hamstring injury in Rovers’ final pre-season friendly against Walsall. There has been very little said about his situation, so it’s unknown whether he will return to action before his six-month contract expires in January.
