Tranmere V Preston at Prenton Park - Match Preview

Nathan Eccleston is poised to make his Tranmere debut against Preston as Ronnie Moore's table-toppers look to bounce back from consecutive defeats.

Moore secured the loan signing of Blackpool forward Eccleston on Thursday to provide much-needed cover in light of injuries to Jean Louis Akpa-Akpro (broken metatarsal) and Birmingham loanee Jake Jervis (ankle).

Playmaker Andy Robinson will hope to continue his return from a hamstring injury despite being substituted as a precaution with 20 minutes of the 2-1 midweek loss to Doncaster remaining.

"Robbo showed what he is worth to us," Moore told Wirral News. "In the first half, everything we did going forward went through him.

"He was carrying the injury a little bit and he was worrying it might go, which was the last thing we want. So we took him off."

Veteran centre-back Ian Goodison is back in contention following knee surgery over the summer.

Questions remain over the fitness of Preston's Bailey Wright and John Mousinho.

Defender Wright missed Tuesday's 3-2 win at Scunthorpe with a leg injury sustained against Sheffield United last weekend as did skipper Mousinho, who is still overcoming the effects of illness.

Irrespective of whether Mousinho returns to central midfield, John Welsh can expect to face the club he made 130 league appearances for before joining North End in the summer.

David Buchanan made the same close-season switch, but the winger's participation is far from guaranteed after he missed out on boss Graham Westley's matchday squad at Glanford Park in midweek.

Striker Lee Trundle (knee) remains a long-term absentee, while Lee Holmes (gashed knee) is back in training but not yet ready for first-team action.

Source: PA

Source: PA