The two sides contested a 1-1 draw just over a week ago, Kevin Nolan saved Bolton's blushes when he came off the bench to score a much needed equaliser to set up the replay. Haworth had given the home side the lead and in fairness they where unlucky not to have gone through against a young and inexperienced Wanderers side.
Bolton manager Sam Allardyce is once again expected to focus on playing the younger end of his squad. Teenagers Danny Livesey, Charlie Comyn-Platt, Ricardo Vaz-Te, Ricky Shakes and Jason Talbot are all added to the Bolton squad for the game. Veteran Kevin Poole is expected to challenge Jamaican international Donovan Ricketts for a place in goal as regular custodian Jussi Jaaskelainen is expected to be rested. Anthony Barness, Stelios Giannakopoulos and Henrik Pedersen are all expected to make the starting line up whilst Jeff Smith and Delroy Facey could be handed rare opportunities in the first team. Bolton will have to do without Simon Charlton (hamstring) and long term injury victims Ricardo Gardner and Florent Laville (both ligament damage) for the clash with Rovers. whilst Ibrahim Ba and Javi Moreno are both ineligable for the tie.
Tranmere will be missing the previously mentioned Haworth for the short trip to Lancashire as well as defensive trio Tyrone Loran (knee), Shane Nicholson (foot) and Ian Sharps (hamstring) but better news for Rovers boss Brian Little is that Danny Harrison and Ryan Taylor return from bans to face the Wanderers whilst youngster Chris Dagnall is hoping for an opportunity to impress on the big stage.
PLAYED FOR BOTH
GRAHAM BELL
VINCE DILLON
MALCOLM EDWARDS
SIMON FARNWORTH
SYD FARRIMOND
RALPH GUBBINS
MIKE MCBURNEY
NEIL MCNAB
JOHN MANNING
TOMMY NEILL
RICHARD OXTOBY
MARTIN PIKE
JOHN PLATT
GRAHAM ROWE
BARRY SIDDALL
GRAHAM STANLEY
DENNIS STEVENS
SCOTT TAYLOR
JOHN THOMAS
RAY TRAIN
JOHN WHEELER
FRANK WORTHINGTON
OTHER CONNECTIONS
GEORGE MULHALL
BILL RIDDING
WARWICK RIMMER