Rochdale v Morecambe preview

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Rochdale manager Keith Hill is expected to select his starting line-up for the visit of Morecambe from an unchanged squad.

Hill has no new injury or suspension problems as his side bid to climb back into the automatic promotion places, but Peter Cavanagh and Ollie Lancashire both remain big doubts.

Midfielder Cavanagh has missed the last four games due to a hamstring injury and defender Lancashire has been sidelined with an unspecified problem.

Winger George Porter, hoping to make his first appearance for the club since signing from Burnley, is expected to start on the substitutes’ bench again.

Morecambe have received a triple boost on the injury front ahead of their tricky away clash at Rochdale.

The Shrimps will have captain Mark Hughes (hamstring) and midfielder Andy Fleming (knee) both back in contention while the head injury which full-back Robbie Threlfall sustained against Burton is unlikely to keep him out.

Manager Jim Bentley is without midfielder Alex Kenyon, though, as he serves the second game of a three-match ban following his dismissal in the abandonment at Accrington.

Winger Marcus Marshall’s injury nightmare continues but Bentley is hopeful his hamstring problem can clear up within the next week or so.

Rochdale v Morecambe preview

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Rochdale must do without Bobby Grant.

Grant was Dale’s hero at the weekend, firing an injury-time winner to see off Wycombe 2-1, but the former Accrington forward picked up his fifth booking of the season earlier in the Adams Park contest and must serve a one-match ban.

Phil Edwards is set to return in defence having served a suspension of his own at the weekend.

Boss John Coleman is faced with a double change in attack as Terry Gornell is unavailable under the terms of his loan from Shrewsbury.

Dele Adebola and George Donnell provide alternative options in the final third but Coleman will not turn to Craig Curran after the ex-Carlisle man was sent on loan to Chester.

Reece Gray (broken leg) and Matt Edwards (wrist) remain long-term absentees.

Morecambe boss Jim Bentley will check on a trio of injury worries.

Goalkeeper Barry Roche, former Dale striker Jack Redshaw and skipper Will Haining all missed Saturday’s impressive 4-1 win over Barnet.

Roche’s complaint dates back to the original tie with Rochdale where he sustained a leg injury.

Despite fearing a break, x-rays came back all clear and the 30-year-old kept a clean sheet against Accrington a week ago before making way for Andreas Arestidou at the weekend.

“He trained on Thursday no problem at all and then he’s taken kids coaching in the community Thursday night and he just said he felt sore, went for a meal after it and then said he could hardly walk,” Bentley told the Morecambe Visitor. “The x-ray says he hasn’t broken it so we’ll just have to see how he goes.”

Haining and Redshaw are rated as 50/50 due to calf strains, while forward Jordan Burrow (knee) is also a doubt and full-back Robbie Threlfall is set to miss out once more.

Rochdale v Morecambe preview

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Rochdale will be without suspended forward Craig Curran.

Curran received a red card for a rash challenge on Bury goalkeeper Trevor Carson in the closing stages of Tuesday night’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy penalty shoot-out defeat and serves the first game of a three-match ban.

His absence will be offset by Bobby Grant’s return from a similar lay-off enforced by his dismissal in the goalless draw against Bradford.

Dale skipper Peter Cavanagh made his first start for a month in midweek after struggling with a calf injury and suffered no ill-effects.

Fellow midfielder Ray Putterill is a doubt to face the Shrimps though, having sustained a suspected groin strain.

Youngsters Reece Gray (broken leg) and Luke Watson (knee) remain long-term absentees alongside goalkeeper Matt Edwards (wrist).

Morecambe will give goalkeeper Barry Roche every chance to return.

Roche has missed the Shrimps’ last two matches and faces a late fitness test on an adductor problem, with Andreas Arestidou ready to deputise once more.

On-loan Wigan full-back Jordan Mustoe is set for a league debut having opened the scoring in Tuesday night’s 4-2 Johnstone’s Paint Trophy defeat to Preston and could line up in a defence featuring fit-again Will Haining.

Midfielder Andrew Wright and forward Kevin Ellison offer a timely boost to boss Jim Bentley having served one and three-match suspensions respectively.

Robbie Threlfall is still out with a thigh problem and the full-back joins long-term victim Danny Carlton (knee) on the sidelines.