By Deadly Submarine
March 15 2005

Gareth Roberts has been called up for International duty for Wales' forthcoming World Cup Qualifying double-header against Austria at the end of March. This means bad news for Tranmere's play-off consolidation hopes as Roberts will now miss both crucial games over the Easter Weekend.

Rovers are due to play away at Chesterfield on Easter Saturday (March 24th), which is the same day that Wales take on Austria at the Millenium Stadium in the World Cup Qualifiers.  Tranmere then face play-off chasing Doncaster Rovers at Prenton Park on Easter Monday in what is a crucial game.

Wales however, play their second match against Austria in Vienna just two days later ensuring that Roberts will almost certainly miss both matches at a crucial time for Rovers.  With no other Rovers players called up for duty that weekend, there can be almost no chance of the games being called off which leaves Tranmere Manager Brian Little with something of a crisis.

With left-sided midfielder David Beresford out for at least four weeks with a hamstring tear, Little has no left-sided cover for the two Easter games.  One option he may have is to look to the youth team with Carl Tremarco having deputised for Roberts before - in the FA Cup game away at Hornchurch last year.

Another option would be to play Theo Whitmore or possibly even Iain Hume on the left whilst re-shuffling his attacking options.  Whitmore played on the left against Hull but with little positive effect so Hume may be a better option with Dagnall and Dadi upfront.

A change of formation to 5-3-2 from 4-4-2 would be little better as the left wing-back role that Little uses is usually filled by Roberts with Goodison playing on the left of the defensive three.

Whatever the Manager decides to do, Tranmere need to ensure maximum points at home to Doncaster in what will surely be a tricky game and whilst a trip to Saltergate against Chesterfield will be equally tricky for Rovers, three points is most certainly not beyond possibility.  Six points at Easter without Roberts will be very welcome indeed!

For Information, the Welsh Squad also features two ex-Rovers players, Jason Koumas and Danny Coyne.

Welsh Squad to play Austria on March 24th (Cardiff) and 30th (Vienna) is:

Coyne (Burnley), Jones (Wolves), Price (Ipswich), Delaney (Aston Villa), J.Collins (Cardiff), D.Collins (Sunderland), Page (Cardiff), Gabbidon (Cardiff), Edwards (Wolves), Partridge (Motherwell), Ricketts (Swansea), Roberts (Tranmere), Davies (Tottenham), Fletcher (West Ham), Williams (West Ham), Koumas (West Brom), Earnshaw (West Brom), Giggs (Man Utd), Robinson (Sunderland), Bellamy (Newcastle - on loan to Celtic), Hartson (Celtic).