Rovers finally return to league action
Wednesday 20th January, 2010
By Richard Ault

Tranmere can finally look forward to some league football tonight for the first time in nearly a month.  With just one game under their belts since the Carlisle game on December 28th, a trip to Oldham kicks off a vital few months for Rovers tonight.

The fantastic performance against Wolves in the FA Cup is of course all the match action Rovers have had in 2010, and Les Parry and the boys are itching to get back into it.  As promising as the Wolves match was, it's unlikely we can now take anything out of that as it was so long ago.

The break has benefited Rovers in some ways though.  Alan Mahon will return to the squad tonight after a couple of months out with an ankle injury, whilst Bas Savage is close to playing his first game since being injured at Leeds last April.  The big striker is badly short of match fitness, but may make the bench within the next couple of weeks.

The place he is expected to take in the dugout is that of ex-England and Oldham striker Michael Ricketts, with rumour circulating he will be released from the club within the next 24-48 hours.  Kithson Bain has returned from his loan at Kettering and could be included in the squad.

Oldham have Pawel Abbott and Chris Taylor available again, although the match may be too early to start them.  Arguably two of the Latics' most influential players, they both returned from injury with substitute appearances in the defeat at Hartlepool a couple of weeks ago, but both remain short on match fitness.

Oldham will be with Lewis Alessandra who was injured during a loan spell at Chester earlier this season, while Paul Heffernan was recalled from his loan spell at Boundary Park by parent club Doncaster Rovers.

Kick-ff at Boundary Park tonight is 7.45pm.