Barry Roche battling to be fit to face Exeter

The Morecambe number one limped out of the victory over Dagenham & Redbridge meaning he missed the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy exit at the hands on Fleetwood on Tuesday night.

Tony Thompson deputised, making his first Shrimps start, and the former Rotherham youngster is poised to do the same should Roche’s back and hamstring problem rule him out again.

Boss Jim Bentley said: “He’s been struggling with this back injury that’s going down into his hamstrings.

“We can’t put a timescale on it the medical staff are just working to get him right.

“We don’t think it’s going to be medium-long term type it’s just at the moment it’s tough.

“He finds on different days some things he can do and some things he can’t do.

“Some things he has a reaction to, some he doesn’t, so we’re just taking it day-by-day at the moment.”

With it being outside the transfer window The Shrimps would need both their professional to be injured in order to bring in a fresh face.

Bentley said: “We’ve still got a fit, professional goalkeeper so that’s what we’ve got to go with.

“They’re the rules. Tony’s come in and it’s a good opportunity for him and it’s up to him to take it with both hands.”

Bentley has other potential injuries to contend with after Tom Barkhuizen and Aaron Wildig had to be taken off against Fleetwood.

Andy Fleming and Aaron McGowan could return on Saturday however.

Bentley said: “Tom Barkhuizen’s been struggling with a bit of a heel problem but got a dead leg the other day as well and had to come off.

“Aaron Wildig took a big blow right at the end of the game and one or two others were nursing knocks as well.

“Fleming and McGowan are making good progress though and they might come back into the frame.

“It might be a case of the door shuts for one or two but opens for one or two others.”