Tranmere’s EFL Trophy campaign begins with a trip to Highbury Stadium to face Fleetwood Town on Tuesday 5th September (7pm kick-off).
Rovers suffered a 1-0 defeat to Wrexham on Saturday, after Aaron Hayden’s second half header handed the Welsh side all three points.
Fleetwood are winless so far this season, having not earned a point since their opening day draw at Carlisle United. They lost 2-1 to Charlton Athletic at the weekend.
The Cods parted company with Head Coach Scott Brown on Sunday, later announcing that under-21s boss Matt Lawlor will take charge of the opening Group D tie.
Rovers were runners-up in this competition in 2021, losing 1-0 to Sunderland in the final at Wembley.
Our EFL Trophy schedule:
Fleetwood Town v Tranmere Rovers | Highbury Stadium | Tuesday 5th September (7pm)
Tranmere Rovers v Leicester City under-21s | Prenton Park | Tuesday 10th October (7pm)
Tranmere Rovers v Wigan Athletic | Prenton Park | Tuesday 14th November (7pm)
Team news:
Ian Dawes announced before the Wrexham match that Jake Leake will be missing for a couple of weeks after suffering a hamstring injury in training, while Lee O’Connor’s ankle injury continues to be monitored.
Luke Norris was named among the substitutes on Saturday, but was replaced during the warm-up and is being assessed.
Deadline Day loan additions James Norris and Rob Apter could make their debuts.
One to watch: Kabongo Tshimanga
Kabongo Tshimanga has a goalscoring history. The forward netted 38 times in 84 games for Boreham Wood, before a 2021 move to Chesterfield which saw him score another 32 goals in 51 appearances.
EFL clubs became interested, and the 25-year-old signed for League One Peterborough United at the start of the year, initially on loan.
On Deadline Day, Fleetwood loaned Tshimanga for the season, a much-needed boost to their attacking options. He picked up his first minutes against Charlton on Saturday and could start against Rovers in the Trophy.
Interim Manager: Matt Lawlor
The Cods announced on Sunday that Head Coach Scott Brown has left the club, with under-21s manager Matt Lawlor stepping in for Tuesday’s game.
Lawlor became boss of the youth side in December 2022, having spent 18 months as the club's Head of Coaching.
He also spent time in charge of the club’s under-18s, where he helped guide them to the 2020/21 North West Youth Alliance league title.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS FOR THE FLEETWOOD GAME
Match coverage:
Fans in the UK and abroad can stream the game on iFollow for £10. Purchase your Video Match Pass by clicking here.
You can follow the action through our social media channels below, with full text coverage during the fixture, followed by a match report.
X: @tranmererovers
Facebook: @trfcofficial
Instagram: @tranmererovers
Match reaction from Ian Dawes and a player will follow on our website and YouTube channel.