INFLUENTIAL defender Craig Short is hoping to return to the first team tomorrow after recovering from a calf muscle injury.

And his return to fitness could hardly be more timely as Alan Shearer rolls into town on the hunt for his 300th career goal.

Short has a been key figure at the heart of Rovers' defence this season and whenever he's been forced out through injury his absence has been keenly felt.

Like Short, Shearer is also entering the twilight of his career but the ageing process has certainly not affected his appetite for goals.

He may not be the same force he was in his prime, but he still possesses one of the deadliest aims in the business and, as Rovers know to their cost from his previous two visits, he only needs half a chance.