Notts County v Tranmere preview
Last Updated: October 5, 2012 1:34pm
Sheehan: Suspended for Magpies
Team news ahead of Saturday's League One clash between Notts County and Tranmere at Meadow Lane.
Notts County will be without the suspended Alan Sheehan.
Sheehan was shown a straight red card for deliberate handball late on in the 2-1 home defeat to Stevenage on Tuesday night and the full-back will serve a one-match ban.
With Sheehan joining Manny Smith (knee) and Tom Williams (calf) as a defensive absentee, manager Keith Curle will hope Julian Kelly recovers from the injury that ruled him out against Stevenage.
Kelly limped off after 62 minutes of the 1-1 draw with Sheffield United at Bramall Lane last Saturday.
Curle has midfielders Gavin Mahon, Hamza Bencherif and Joss Labadie, who will be eager to start after moving to Meadow Lane from Tranmere in the summer, and strikers Yoann Arquin and Lee Hughes available should he wish to make changes to his team.
Tranmere will be without in-form playmaker Andy Robinson.
Robinson, who has struck seven goals in nine appearances as Ronnie Moore's men have established themselves as the early season pacesetters in the league, played through the pain of a groin problem in Tuesday night's 3-1 win at Scunthorpe.
But the 32-year-old suffered a hamstring strain against the Iron and will miss out.
Skipper James Wallace and on-loan Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson went into the midweek encounter nursing leg and calf injuries respectively but came through unscathed and are fit to continue as Rovers look to extend their unbeaten start to the league campaign.
Victory would extend Tranmere's advantage over fourth-placed County to nine points.
Matches
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npower League 1
Table
npower League 1
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 84 |
| 2 | Bournemouth | 46 | 83 |
| 3 | Brentford | 46 | 79 |
| 4 | Yeovil Town | 46 | 77 |
| 5 | Sheffield United | 46 | 75 |
| 6 | Swindon Town | 46 | 74 |
| 7 | Leyton Orient | 46 | 71 |
| 8 | Milton Keynes Dons | 46 | 70 |
| 9 | Walsall | 46 | 68 |
| 10 | Crawley Town | 46 | 68 |
| 11 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 67 |
| 12 | Notts County | 46 | 65 |
| 13 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 64 |
| 14 | Preston North End | 46 | 59 |
| 15 | Coventry City | 46 | 55 |
| 16 | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 55 |
| 17 | Carlisle United | 46 | 55 |
| 18 | Stevenage | 46 | 54 |
| 19 | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 51 |
| 20 | Colchester United | 46 | 51 |
| 21 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 48 |
| 22 | Bury | 46 | 41 |
| 23 | Hartlepool United | 46 | 41 |
| 24 | Portsmouth | 46 | 32 |
