Preview: Tranmere Rovers vs Shrewsbury Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Fighting to earn promotion from League Two at the first time of asking, Shrewsbury Town will travel to face Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park on Saturday.

Both Rovers and the Shrews are looking for their first win of the campaign.

Match preview

Tranmere struggled under Nigel Adkins 2024-25, and were at serious risk of relegation from the fourth tier, but current manager Michael Appleton delivered six wins and five draws from his 13 games in charge to keep them in the division.

Rovers ended the campaign 20th in the table with 51 points, nine above Carlisle United in the drop zone but still 11 short of reaching the top half.

Last Saturday, Appleton's side earned a point in a 1-1 draw on the road against Colchester United, though the manager will be frustrated that his team surrendered their lead with just three minutes left on the clock.

Aiming to put points on the board this weekend, the hosts will take confidence from the fact that they have lost just twice on their own turf since February, winning four and drawing the remaining match.

A first victory of the season would be enough to lift Tranmere up to the top of the table in a best-case scenario, though their goal-difference is likely to see them fall short.

Meanwhile, Shrewsbury were relegated from League One last season, struggling under three different managers and ending the term under Michael Appleton after Gareth Ainsworth left to join Gillingham.

Under their current boss, the Shrews finished bottom of the table with only 33 points, a staggering 14 behind 20th-placed Burton Albion, the first team that escaped the drop.

On matchday one, Appleton's men played out a 0-0 stalemate at home to Bromley, a game that saw a remarkable situation in which a qualified referee was recruited from the crowd to act as a fourth official following an injury to referee Scott Chalkley.

Shrewsbury faced 17 shots in that game - though only two were on target - and the coach will be keen to stamp out the lapses in concentration that allowed their opponents to create so many opportunities.

However, fans of the visitors may be expecting a positive result on Saturday, partly because of their status as a third-tier side last season and partly because of their travelling record that includes three consecutive victories ahead of this weekend.

Tranmere Rovers League Two form:

Shrewsbury Town League Two form:

Team News

Tranmere's Lee O'Connor could join Nathan Smith and Jordan Turnbull once again, and they will be hoping to keep a first clean sheet of the campaign on Saturday.

At the opposite end of the pitch, Connor Jennings and Omari Patrick should join striker Josh Davison up top this weekend, supported by wing-backs Cameron Norman and Patrick Brough.

As for Shrewsbury, they are yet to score a goal in 2025-26, and striker John Marquis, backed up by Anthony Scully, will be looking to break the duck.

In the centre of the park, Harrison Biggins, Alex Gilliead and Sam Clucas are likely to be tasked with building a foundation for the forwards to attack from, and the trio should be flanked by wing-backs Luca Hoole and George Nurse.

Tranmere Rovers possible starting lineup:

McGee; O'Connor, Smith, Turnbull; Norman, Smallwood, Kenneh, Brough; Jennings, Davison, Patrick

Shrewsbury Town possible starting lineup:

Savin; Stubbs, Anderson, Boyle; Hoole, Biggins, Gilliead, Clucas, Nurse; Scully; Marquis

We say: Tranmere Rovers 1-2 Shrewsbury Town

Tranmere may have struggled in 2024-25, but they have established their resilience at home, and they will be tough to beat this weekend.

That being said, Shrewsbury have won three away games on the bounce ahead of this clash, and the relegated side will be expecting to take all three points on Saturday.

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