IF Les Parry and Karl Robinson had been asked, 18 months ago, for an opinion on their prospects of becoming managers of Football League clubs, each might have pointed out that his CV did not include some of the background conventionally required for the job.

The fact that the two Merseysiders will be facing each other across the dugouts at Prenton Park tomorrow, as respective managers of Tranmere and MK Dons, is testimony to football's enduring capacity to deliver tales of the unexpected.

Parry was a long serving physiotherapist, with no professional playing experience, who moved out of the treatment room to replace a former England international, John Barnes, as manager at Prenton Park just over a year ago.

Robinson gained all of his experience as a player in nonleague football, at places like Marine, Prescot Cables, Rhyl and Caernarfon Town. Last May he too replaced a former England international, Paul Ince, to become a manager at MK Dons.

When the appointment was made Robinson became the youngest manager in the Football League, at 29, although he celebrated his 30th birthday last month.

Parry said: "Everyone was surprised when Karl got the job. It is a bit of a parallel with myself in that respect. Karl has done really well. He had a good grounding under Paul Ince and has brought some good staff around him. That's the secret."

Parry's choice as number two this season was Kevin Summerfield, while Robinson also went for a man of long experience in John Gorman, the former England and Swindon Town coach. Robinson is also backed by German international Dieter Hamann as player coach. The former Liverpool centre back has played 12 games for the Dons this season although he is a doubtful starter tomorrow with a hamstring injury.

Robinson's rapid advancement into management owes something to the connections he made while working on the academy staff at Liverpool. When Ince left a successful first spell as manager at MKD to go to Blackburn Rovers in 2008, he took Robinson as his number two. Failure to deliver a quick success cost Ince and Robinson their jobs at Ewood Park but the pair stayed together for Ince's second spell at MK Dons.

Ince left the Dons halfway through a two-year contract at the end of last season but Robinson stayed on to become number one, with chairman Pete Winkleman declaring: "Karl is a young man with enormous ambition .... his coaching credentials and reputation within the game are already well-established."

Ince meanwhile, returned to management yesterday by taking the post at Notts County.

Robinson is understood to be working with a budget reduced from last season's levels but the Dons are on the edge of the play-off zone in League One after 13 games, thanks largely to a strong home record.

Parry said: "MK Dons still have a core of excellent players who were retained after Paul Ince left. They are a big side. They've had their budget cut from what it was but they are still on a good budget. And they still have a chairman that every manager in the league would like to work for."

The Dons head to Prenton Park looking to improve an away record showing one win and five defeats so far. Rovers meanwhile are anxious to turn around a home record showing one win, at the expense of Peterborough, and three defeats in the opening six games.

Parry takes heart from Tranmere's last League One outing, a 4-1 victory at Walsall last Saturday and from progress in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in midweek after they squeezed past Stockport County on a penalty shootout. Parry said: "I would like to think we have some momentum going."

Zoumana Bakayogo is in line to make his first league start of the season against the Dons. Aaron Cresswell, an ever present in the left back spot until last weekend, took a blow on the hip at Walsall and missed the JPT game against Stockport in midweek, when Bakayogo played.

Parry said: "Aaron is particularly sore so it looks like Zoum will keep his place."

Striker Enoch Showunmi, who was rested because of shoulder and calf injuries in midweek, is rated a 50-50 chance for tomorrow. Parry has the option of using Ian Thomas-Moore or youngster at Lucas Akins in the central striking role if Showunmi cannot play.

Marlon Broomes could be in line for his first senior appearance of the season at centre back after testing his recovery from a knee injury through a 90 minute run out with the reserves at Preston on Wednesday.

Tranmere season-ticket holders have a final opportunity to collect unclaimed heritage shirt and a scarf packs from the Tranmere and Wirral Football Supporters Trust before the game against MK Dons.

The packs will be available in the Recreation Centre at Prenton Park from 10am to 2pm and from 5pm to 6pm.