Tranmere v Scunthorpe preview

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Tranmere boss Ronnie Moore could name an unchanged side.

Rovers recorded their first league win in seven outings against Crewe on Boxing Day to retain their place in the top two.

On-loan West Brom defender Donervon Daniels was handed a first Tranmere start at centre-back for the 2-1 triumph at the expense of benched veteran Ian Goodison.

Skipper James Wallace is back in light training but will not return from his medial knee ligament injury until the new year.

Defender Mark McChrystal is back at Prenton Park after his loan spell with the Iron expired.

Forward Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro (broken metatarsal) and winger Abdulai Bell-Baggie (lateral knee ligament) remain sidelined.

Moore’s men triumphed 3-1 at Glanford Park in October in the reserve fixture.

Scunthorpe manager Brian Laws is hopeful winger Mark Duffy will prove his fitness.

Duffy jarred his knee after slipping in the Boxing Day defeat to Sheffield United and was withdrawn by Laws shortly afterwards.

However, Laws conceded that move was purely precautionary and expects Duffy to take his place in the struggling Iron’s starting XI at Prenton Park.

“He (Duffy) twisted his knee a little bit, but I would be very surprised if it keeps him out,” Laws told the club’s official website.

“We will have to look at him, everybody will be in for training on Thursday so we will see what the damage is then.”

Duffy was not the only one to pick up an injury in the 3-0 loss to the Blades as captain Paul Reid left Bramall Lane with a cut under his eye.

Reid has been playing with a broken nose but Laws expects his skipper to soldier on once more.

Tranmere v Scunthorpe preview

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Martin Devaney is poised to make his first start under Tranmere boss Ronnie Moore on the final day of the League One season.

The winger has suffered an injury-ravaged campaign, but is one of a number of fringe players Moore wishes to run the rule over.

“I’ll definitely play Devaney, I want to have a look at him,” the Rovers manager told Tranmere Player. “If we can keep him fit he’s got quality.

“You look at his past and he doesn’t play many games because he’s injured quite a lot. But he’ll have a game and I might throw someone else in there as well.”

Midfielder Robbie Weir and forward Adam McGurk featured as substitutes during last weekend’s 4-2 defeat at Colchester and will hope to earn starts before Moore decides on the fate of 16 out-of-contract players.

Scunthorpe will be without skipper Paul Reid following surgery on his nose.

Central defender Reid has broken his nose four times this season and has worn a protective mask in recent weeks. Niall Canavan could be handed a rare start in his captain’s absence.

Manager Alan Knill is expected to give striker Connor Jennings another run out after he recently returned to the substitutes’ bench following a broken metatarsal and Garry Thompson could return to the starting line-up.

The Iron will be without striker Jon Parkin (Cardiff) and Everton winger Conor McAleny, who have returned to their parent clubs due to respective knee injuries, while defender Jamie Reckford (shoulder) is back with Wolves.

Midfield trio Michael Collins (Achilles), Damien Mozika (ankle) and Michael O’Connor (groin) all remain sidelined – the latter has had surgery to resolve his problem – and striker Jordan Robertson sits out the final game of a three-match ban.