MANAGER Les Parry admits he may be hard pressed to put 11 fully-fit senior professionals on the team sheet when Tranmere travel to Stevenage this weekend.

Injuries are biting hard as Rovers look to put an end to a run of five League One games without a victory.

The list of players ruled out includes goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams (broken hand), centre-back Ian Goodison (hamstring), right-back David Raven (thigh) and utility man Zoumana Bakayogo (knee).

Striker Enoch Showunmi is a doubtful starter for Tranmere’s first-ever visit to Broadhall Way with an ankle problem. So too is versatile attacker Lucas Akins, who suffered a painful blow to his heel during the 2-0 home defeat to MK Dons last Saturday.

Showunmi, troubled by fitness problems for much of this season, made his first senior start in almost two months against MK Dons but was not able to train in the early part of this week.

Parry said: “We are trying to nurse Enoch back and get him playing. I thought he was great for the first half-hour against MK Dons and then after that he tired a little bit and the ball started to come off him. We will give him all the time we can.”

Akins left Prenton Park on crutches last Saturday but is now able to walk normally. Playing may be another matter. Parry said: “Lucas is a bit better but still sore and we are going to give him every chance to be right.”

Tranmere’s third striker, Mustafa Tiryaki, is fit but needs a confidence boost, Parry said.

“Mustafa’s problem at the moment is he is struggling a little bit for form and confidence – as most strikers do from time to time. If he needs to come into the side I’m sure he will do a good job for us. If he scores a goal I think he will kick on from that.”

Parry added: “Hopefully we will have 16 senior players to travel with. If not we will take an apprentice from the youth squad. At the moment we are struggling for 16.

“We’ve not had a good season for injuries. I don’t complain about them, as everybody knows, though when I listen to some fans I think maybe I should because it would put the injuries to the forefront of their minds. I don’t think they consider the injury pattern we have had. At the moment we have three or four important players out of action.”

Tranmere, operating with a small squad and one of the lowest budgets for players in the division, are always liable to suffer a greater impact from injuries than rivals with greater resources.

Parry said: “The situation with our goalkeeper, Owain Fon Williams is that he’s out for a couple of months with a broken hand. We have brought in Paul Rachubka and he is doing a really good job. But there is a financial cost of that and it has a knock-on effect.

“Paul’s wages come out of the budget, so then you don’t have that money to bring in anyone else.

“We have been using players who were not 100% fit and we’ve not had any option because of injuries to others. That can have an effect on the other players as well.

“When they are playing with someone who is not 100%, they may be trying to do some things to help them a little bit more than they should. It’s a learning curve for them and for us.”

Tranmere will be facing a Stevenage side in strong form. The hosts are unbeaten in 10 league and cup games and kept clean sheets on their last five outings. The run has lifted Graham Wesleys side, promoted from League Two via the play-offs last season, to ninth place in the table.

Parry said: “Stevenage are fit and organised and get behind the ball well. You can see where the clean sheets have come from.

“They have a reputation for being a long ball team but they play more football than people give them credit for.”