Doncaster Rovers players told to stay away in bid to deal with illness crisis

Doncaster Rovers boss Darren Ferguson has abandoned plans for a Saturday training session as he looks to control a bout of illness sweeping through his squad.
Darren FergusonDarren Ferguson
Darren Ferguson

Rodney Kongolo and Alfie Beestin both missed Friday night's win over Rochdale due to flu-like symptoms.

And several players and staff, including goalscorer Alfie May, are also suffering with the illness.

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In a bid to prevent the further spread of the illness, Ferguson instructed his players to stay away from the Cantley Park training ground for Saturday's planned recovery session ahead of Monday's trip to Peterborough United.

"We've got a real illness going around the camp," Ferguson said.

"Beestin pulled out an hour before the game. May is ill. Mathieu Baudry is ill and was struggling to carry on at half time.

"A few of the staff are feeling it.

"Kongolo was ill on Wednesday and he managed to do an hour but he didn't come in the following day.

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"We've got a bit of a bug going around so for the lads to produce that against Rochdale and get them all out there is excellent.

"Beestin he looked terrible so he's a doubt for Monday.

"It's just a flu bug, a bit of diahorrea going about. Frenchie [Baudry] was really bad at half time. I was going to bring him off but he managed to carry on.

"Beestin was fluey-ill, Kongolo has it, May has it. We'll just have to see how they are for Monday.

"The plan was for them to be in but I've told them to stay away on Saturday."

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Ferguson insists the cancellation of the training session will have no baring on Monday's clash with Peterborough.

He said: "The plan was for them to come in and do a recovery but they need to stay away because five or six are really struggling and so are a few staff.

"That's probably the best way of dealing with it, and trying to get rest at home.

"It won't have any effect on Monday that, because what we would have done would have been minimal anyway."