Darren Moore looking to take advice from big names as he plots Doncaster Rovers' return to training

Darren Moore oversees first team training

Rovers have not trained collectively since mid-March due to the suspension of League One football in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

With next season seeming likely to start in September and training to begin in early August, the squad will have been without group activity for more than five months.

Moore says it will take careful planning to ensure his players are in the best possible condition by the time the 20/21 season kicks off.

And he believes learning from the experience of bosses from the top two tiers, who have already returned to action after the lengthy lay-off.

“There’s a lot of managers around and we’ve all been ringing each other to see how things have been and picking up our different views on how to manage it,” he told the Free Press.

“We’re all keeping in touch. It is a situation where none of us have had to deal with it before.

“We’re just trying to bounce off each other, gather information and help each other going forward in how to manage it.

“It’s a surreal situation and no way is right and no way is wrong. It’s each to their own.”

Moore says the impact of the suspension of the game has been visible in the performances of clubs in the top two divisions.

And he expects it will be no different when League One resumes.

He said: “You can see with the Premier LEague and CHampionship the impact it has had. It’s been huge, which you can see with certain results.

“They’ve had 12 or 14 weeks off and you can see the impact on the results. You look at some of our close neighbours Sheffield United and the season they’ve had, and what impact it had on them when they first came back.

“With that length of time you’d be looking to give the lads six to eight games in pre-season to get them right and get the rhythm. Even when the season starts you need five or six games to find their rhythm.

“Our lads will have had 22 weeks off, nearly six months.

“When players are used to getting that contact on a daily basis, they’ve just not had it. All these things have to be taken into consideration when the team comes back.

“As a manager you want them back in as soon as you physically can. You need the time, the training, the games before the season starts.”

*

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.