CHRIS SHUKER reckons his young team-mate Craig Curran could be reaching the end of the comeback trail at just the right time to aid Tranmere’s promotion-chasing ambitions.

Curran is about to resume full-time training with Rovers after being sidelined for the best part of four months with a back problem.

The 19-year-old may be pushing for a first-team recall by the end of the month.

Rovers are looking to increase their firepower at a time when Chris Greenacre, the club’s leading goalscorer in each last three seasons, is consigned to the sidelines with damaged ligaments in his foot.

Shuker said: “Losing Chris at this time is a blow. He’s such a valuable player for the team with his ability to hold the ball up – and his goalscoring record is excellent. It is unfortunate for Chris that he picked up this injury just as he was getting back into the side.

“But Craig Curran is coming back to fitness now. He’s a similar type of player to Chris and we could do with having one of them ready to go into the side.

“Craig had a frustrating time with injury this season, as I did last year. You’ve just got to deal with it.”

Shuker added: “So far we have not been hit as hard by injuries as we were last season. We are a small squad but we do have players who can adapt to playing more than one role for the team.”

Shuker says he is delighted the squad is back at work on the Raby training ground this week after a fortnight of freezing temperatures around the turn of the year forced Rovers onto all-weather pitches and indoor sports halls.

He said: “We were training all over the place, on Astro-turf too, that was still frozen and indoor pitches that were as hard as nails.”