COLIN Todd is keeping his selection plans under wraps as Wanderers put the final touches to their preparation for the new season.

Injuries will restrict his options for Saturday's Division One opener at Tranmere but there are still permutations to be considered with high profile players being offered no guarantees.

Record signing Dean Holdsworth is in the two-from-three perm as the manager considers his best attacking formation in the absence of last season's top scorer Bob Taylor, who is recovering from a minor knee operation. Eidur Gudjohnsen and Bo Hansen are also hoping to get the nod.

Fitness levels

With Steve Banks still some way off a full recovery following summer surgery, Keith Branagan looks set to pip Jussi Jaaskelainen for the goalkeeper's position. But there are still question-marks over the make-up of the back four.

Neil Cox, seemingly without a rival for the right-back slot, has recovered from illness and injury but a lack of games in pre-season has raised doubts over his fitness levels while the form Jimmy Phillps has shown in the warm-up games has given Todd options on the right as well as the left.

"I wish I had more options," the manager said as he surveyed a casualty list which also includes Gudni Bergsson and Paul Warhurst and leaves him with just 14 fit outfield players.

On the day Wanderers' new strip went on sale, squad numbers reflect the summer-long uncertainty over the futures of Per Frandsen and Mark Fish who have been given 18 and 19 respectively. But Todd insists there is no significance in the 1 to 11 allocation. "They're just numbers," he said. "They don't mean anything."

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