STRIKER Nathan Tyson is out of tonight's clash at league leaders Grimsby Town but a new goalkeeper is standing by to make his Wycombe debut.

While Blues' 13-goal hotshot has failed to recover from the knee injury which forced him off at half time during Saturday's 3-3 draw with Chester, new on-loan England U20 keeper Andy Lonergan is standing by to make his debut.

Manager John Gorman signed the 21-year-old on a month-to-month loan from Preston yesterday and he is likely to be included from the start tonight.

He made 23 appearances for North End last season and Gorman says it was too good an opportunity to turn down.

He said: "I want competition in every area of the field. He is so highly-rated and we're lucky to get him.

"I'm not being disrespectful to Frank Talia but I want competition everywhere. Just because we're unbeaten in the league and third in the table it doesn't mean we can sit back. I still feel we need freshening up."

Meanwhile, at the other end of the field, Blues aren't taking any risks with Tyson.

He hasn't trained all week and stayed behind in Wycombe for treatment when the Blues boarded their team bus yesterday.

The striker who was watched by Birmingham City boss Steve Bruce last week picked up the injury 13 days ago in the win at Mansfield Town.

The £750,000 rated player who is also being tracked by Premiership mid-tablers Wigan Athletic, tried to play through the problem but has now been ordered to rest-up by the Blues medical team.

Gorman said: "He was a shadow of himself against Chester and we need to get this right.

"He is too important a player to take risks with. His hamstring is overworking and he has got pain behind the knee.

"By leaving him out now, hopefully we can get him fit for the following Saturday."

Rob Lee is also also ruled out of this evening's top versus third blockbuster at Blundell Park.

But Gorman is confident that even without the former England midfielder and his master marksman in the ranks, Wanderers can sink the Mariners and take Grimsby's place at the top of the League Two leaderboard.

Gorman, who has just been awarded the Manager of the Month award for September, said: "I'm not frightened of Grimsby. They don't worry me at all. We will be going up there looking for a win like we always do."

The Mariners, who are two places and two points ahead of Wycombe, are also without a key player as they bid to stretch their lead at the top of the table.

Jean-Paul Kamudimba Kala, the man whose goal knocked Tottenham Hotspur out of the Carling Cup, has been recalled to the Congo squad for their World Cup match against South Africa.

With him missing, Gorman is contemplating employing an aggressive three-man attack.

Tommy Mooney, who scored twice against Chester, will lead the line despite attending a family funeral yesterday. He will be partnered in attack by midfielder Kevin Betsy.

Betsy is in a rich vein of form, with four goals in his last three games and Gorman believes he could be the long-term replacement for Tyson, if Wycombe lose the goal machine in the January sales when the transfer window re-opens.

Jonny Dixon could also start tonight. He scored again for the reserves as they went down 2-1 to Millwall on Tuesday and Gorman admitted afterwards that he is considering unleashing all three.

Midfield scrapper Joe Burnell will return to the starting team to try and plug some of the holes that Chester found last week.