AN injury to leading marksman Ian Thomas-Moore is doing Tranmere no favours as manager Les Parry looks to beef up his attacking options this week.
Parry is awaiting the results of a scan on the knee injury that kept Thomas-Moore out of Friday night's goalless draw with Hartlepool United at Prenton Park.
Rovers hope the 10-goal skipper will be able to return to the battle for League One survival sooner rather than later. But Parry remains determined to push through with his attempts to sign a striker before the deadline for emergency loans expires on Thursday.
Parry said: "Ian has a problem with his knee. When the grounds get hard it gets a little bit inflamed.
“He wasn't happy in training last Thursday and had a scan over the weekend. Last time he had an injection and it settle down really well. If the scan indicates he needs another jab he will have one."
Parry hopes he can stretch Tranmere's budget to two signings this week.
He is also lining up a left-back to fill the gap left by suspensions ruling out Zoumana Bakayogo and Aaron Cresswell for the important visit to Brighton next Saturday.
The manager can afford to look for reinforcements on two fronts because some extra cash thrown into the pot by the board of directors around the turn of the year has been supplemented by an £11,500 donation from supporters through the "Les Aid" initiative.
Parry said: "We still have to address the left back situation but we have a couple of bob put away so we have also been looking at strikers.
"We have a list in my office of about 30 to 40 and we have trawled through most of them, to be told in most cases they are not available. It is difficult to get a striker but we will keep working at it."
Parry plans to recruit a left-back because he is reluctant to deploy a non-specialist in the position at Brighton. Bakayogo will be missing at the Withdean Stadium while he completes a two-match ban for his dismissal at Bristol Rovers on March 13.
Cresswell deputised more than competently against Hartlepool but the 20-year-old starts a three-match suspension for his dismissal in a reserve team outing against Liverpool.
Parry said: "Aaron did well, especially in the first half against Hartlepool and showed little bits of class. But unfortunately he is suspended."
Results elsewhere over the weekend left Rovers above the relegation zone, but only by a single point ahead of Exeter City in 21st place.
Parry said he understood the disappointment shown by Tranmere fans at the final whistle on Friday night. He said: "We kept a clean sheet and took a point but they were about the only positives you could take out of the game. It was very poor. It looked like a game between two sides who were frightened to lose.
"The firm pitch did not help because they were turning us and we were turning them and the ball was running out of play all the time.
"We had a couple of decent chances in the first half and Hartlepool started better in the second-half. They came here with a game plan. They frustrated us in the first half. Everything was boomed back over our heads. We have to deal with that. We go away from home and try to do exactly the same thing.
"Luke Daniels made one good save for us and their keeper did not have much to do either."
