Doncaster Rovers: Grant McCann updates on injury absences

James Coppinger missed Doncaster Rovers' win at Gillingham with a foot injury, Grant McCann revealed.
James CoppingerJames Coppinger
James Coppinger

But the Rovers boss says he would have likely rested the veteran forward for the game regardless of the injury he picked up in the Boxing Day defeat to Fleetwood Town.

Paul Taylor was also absent from the squad for the trip to the Priestfield Stadium due to illness with McCann forced to name youth team players Myron Gibbons and Rieves Boocock among the substitutes.

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'We were a little bit pitched up but we showed that we can call in others to come and do a job for us,' McCann said.

'We'll have to leave it until the last minute for the Rochdale game to see how many bodies we have.

'We think James Coppinger might be okay. He wasn't too bad and after a couple of days rest he might be okay.

'It was just his foot. He just rolled it at Fleetwood and it's not too bad. If it had been the play-off final on Saturday, Copps would have played.

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'It was an ideal situation. Looking ahead, I probably wouldn't have played him in this game any way with the two long travels.

'We'll patch Copps up and I'm sure he'll be fine.

'Shaun is probably going to miss about three or four weeks which isn't ideal for us but it is what it is.

'Paul Taylor is ill. He picked up the same bug Matty Blair had and he should be fine for Tuesday.'

McCann revealed Joe Wright and Niall Mason are closing in on a return to the first team but still have work to do to get up to speed.

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'We're not far off with Joe Wright and Niall Mason,' he said. 'Both of them have been on the grass doing work. 

'But Joe has missed a chunk of time and Niall's probably missed the last three or four weeks so they're probably going to need a bit of fitness work before they're back in the group.

'It'll be a timely boost for them to come back in during January with Kieran Sadlier joining the group and the new forward coming in too.'

Sadlier is set to play in a game arranged on Tuesday following the first team clash with Rochdale.

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