Doncaster Rovers given centre-forward boost ahead of long Exeter City trip
Doncaster Rovers are hopeful that Brandon Hanlan – their only fit, senior centre-forward – can make today's game away at Exeter City.
Rovers staff and squad made the long jaunt down to Devon on Easter Sunday, ready for this afternoon's fixture against a side in wretched form and now three points adrift of safety in League One.
Hanlan went off in the second half of Rovers’ Good Friday home reversal to Mansfield Town, after getting cramp in both his calves. In the immediate aftermath of that loss, manager Grant McCann admitted that it would be a case of waiting and seeing how he recovers. But offering a fresh update on Sunday, on an in-house interview, the Northern Irishman confirmed that “everybody has come through the game fine.”
Should Hanlan, 28, indeed make it for today's game it will mean Rovers avoid having to ask another player to act as an auxiliary striker. That was the case last month away at Bolton when Hakeeb Adelakun moonlighted up front, in lieu of Hanlan who was injured. Billy Sharp, the only other senior centre-forward on the books, remains sidelined - also with a calf injury - and is unlikely to be back today either.
"We're short, obviously with Billy's injury and now Brandon coming of," McCann admitted. "We lost Frankie (Okoronkwo, loanee) to injury too, so it's difficult.
"We threw Jay (McGrath, centre-half) on up there against Mansfield because maybe we thought he'd win a flick on or do something for us in the last ten minutes of the game. We're mixing and matching a little bit."
Hanlan, in his first season at the club, will be desperate to be available today as he looks to end an up-and-down campaign strongly.
"That's what Brandon wants - to play every week," added McCann. "When he wasn't, I could see he was frustrated and a little bit down. But he's playing now so he needs to stay on top of what he's doing and be ready for every game. It was disappointing to lose him when we did against Mansfield."
On Sharp, he added: "I don't think he's going to be right for Monday, either. He's still probably a wee bit away, but we'll see how he is. We'll try and get the right recovery into the rest of them, but also the right training into the players who need it. Hopefully we can climb back on the horse on Monday."