TRANMERE may have to meet the Carling Cup challenge presented by talented Championship side Swansea City without defensive strongman Ian Goodison tonight.

The Jamaican international defender is a “serious doubt” for the second round tie at Prenton Park because of an ankle injury.

Rovers, already stretched thin at the back with long-term injuries to Ash Taylor and Marlon Broomes, are ready to give Frenchman Maxime Blanchard his first senior start at the heart of the back four alongside teenager Nick Wood.

Goodison picked up a knock during Tranmere’s 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth last Saturday. Manager Les Parry said: “Ian wanted to come off for the last 15 minutes on Saturday and had some treatment on Sunday. He is a major doubt and of course we have other injuries in that area. We can cope with three or four injuries at a time but when they are concentrated in the same area, that is when it bothers you.

“We are getting younger and younger at the back but Max did well at centre-back when he played against Liverpool in a pre-season friendly.”

Blanchard, 23, was recruited this summer after impressing in a succession of trial appearances. He made his League One debut as a substitute at Huddersfield 10 days ago, playing in a defensive midfield role. But he sees centre-back as his strongest position.

Parry is unlikely to ring the changes in formation, after Rovers suffered a second straight home defeat at the hands of the Cherries.

Although Tranmere switched to a 4-4-2 set up in the second half last Saturday, Parry intends sticking with the 4-3-3 system he introduced after taking charge of team affairs last October.

Parry said: “We looked at ways of improving our chances of scoring in the second half against Bournemouth and it did not work out. One thing it does do is open us up a little bit more at the back.”

Parry is confident motivation won’t be a problem for his side. “If our lads need picking up for a game against Swansea there is something wrong,” he said. “We are playing a good Championship side and it has come at an ideal time.”

Tranmere’s own scouting reports back up the view in South Wales that Brendan Rodgers’ Swansea side deserved much more than a 2-0 defeat after dominating their Championship game at Norwich City last Saturday.

Parry said: “Norwich’s manager Paul Lambert reckons Swansea were the best footballing side he had seen since he has been manager there. It is going to be a big task for us.”

Parry strengthened his squad with two further signings yesterday after Adam McGurk and Lucas Akins signed season-long contracts.

McGurk, 21 from Larne in Northern Ireland, spent three seasons with Aston Villa without making the breakthrough into first-team football. Released this summer, he played several trial games for Tranmere and made his League One debut as a substitute against Bournemouth.

Akins, also 21, was released by home-town club Huddersfield in the summer of 2008 after making five League One appearances.

Another striker, Sam Morrow, is beginning a trial with Tranmere, by arrangement with Irish club Coleraine. The 25-year-old from Northern Ireland began his career in the youth ranks with Ipswich Town but made only one senior appearance between 2001 and 2004. A three-season spell with Hibernian realised 30 Scottish Premier League appearances and loan spells with Livingston and Partick Thistle.

Morrow was with Derry City for two seasons before his hometown club were relegated for financial irregularities and he switched to Coleraine this summer.

Meanwhile, Parry is hoping the transfer wrangle over striker Ian Thomas-Moore will be resolved one way or another over the next few days.

Tranmere have received a bid of £30,000 from Rotherham United for the 33-year-old striker, who has also been offered a one-year contract extension to remain at Prenton Park until the summer of 2012.

Parry said: “I think the ball is in Ian’s court now. I don’t want to lose him but if he is going to go, I want him to go quickly. I have enough things happening with injuries and trying to sign players without this upsetting the apple cart as well.”

Parry spoke to Thomas-Moore on Sunday about the player’s angry reaction after being substituted during the second half of the Bournemouth game.

Parry said: “I explained to Ian the reasons why he was taken off and he was understanding about it.

“Kicking the stretcher in the players’ tunnel was out of character for Ian and I think that was down to frustration over the current situation.”