Tranmere await news over Shuker ankle injury

Nov 30 2009 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Echo

TRANMERE fear they will be losing influential front man Chris Shuker as they battle to fight their way off the foot of the League One table and claim a third round FA Cup date at home to Premier League outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Shuker suffered an ankle injury a minute before the interval in Saturday's goalless second round tie with Aldershot.

That makes him a doubtful starter for Tranmere's visit to Huddersfield in the league tomorrow, caretaker manager Les Parry said.

Parry added: "We missed Shukes after he went off because he is creative. Defenders are looking for him and he drags defenders out for other people to get into the gaps. The ball hit him as he planted his foot and he's hurt his ankle ligaments, so he is going to be struggling for Tuesday.”

Parry admits the frustration factor undermined Tranmere's efforts to win the tie with Aldershot at the first attempt.

Rovers' football became ragged towards the end of the game at Prenton Park as they struggled to break down the League Two visitors' well-organised defence.

Parry said: “We created some good chances in the first half and one or two in the second but the game got a bit scrappy towards the end.

“We said at half-time that the longer the game went on, the more Aldershot would sit back and we should not get frustrated. But we did get frustrated. We tried to force the issue and that's how we got sloppy."

A visit to the Recreation Ground a week tomorrow wasn't what Parry and his temporary management team were hoping for.

But they do have the incentive of a potential visit from Wolves should they make it through to the third round.

“We were hoping to have a free week and now we have a long trip down to Aldershot next Tuesday,” Parry said. "That's a little bit annoying but we are still in the Cup."

Rovers could not have come closer to scoring than when John Welsh's 21st minute shot struck the inside of both posts before bouncing to safety.

“You don't see shot come back off both posts very often," Parry said. "That it was a great effort from Welshy.

“We were right down the line of it and I thought it was going in. It was a surprise when it hit the first post, never mind the second.”

Tranmere were unable to add a new signing to the squad in spite of efforts to arrange loan deals close to last Thursday's deadline. They turned down a cheeky move from Rotherham manager Ronnie Moore to take his son, Ian Thomas-Moore, to South Yorkshire on loan.

Rovers, however, did release Grenada striker Kithson Bain to non-League Kettering on a loan that runs until January 5.