Doncaster Rovers: ‘I hope they’ve been out on a 48 hour bender’ – Grant McCann reacts to Oxford United’s training break

Oxford boss Karl Robinson told his players before Monday’s clash with Shrewsbury Town that he would hand them a day off for every point they claimed at the New Meadow.

And after a 3-2 win, he told them not to report back for training until Friday – just a day ahead of Doncaster Rovers’ visit to the Kassam Stadium.

Rovers manager McCann says he can understand why Robinson opted to give his side a break with them having little to play for at this stage of the campaign.

And with Rovers desperately in need of a win in their quest for a play-off place, he has his own ideas of what he would have liked the Oxford squad to be getting up to this week.

"I hope they were on a 48 hour bender to be honest with you,” he said.

“If they weren't, they should have been.

"They're safe. It's a time where he's probably trying to get a bit of freshness into the group, chopping and changing it a bit.

"I've seen he's changed it a few times recently.

"Each to their own, everyone has got their own prerogative and that was Karl's.”

Oxford have won eight of their last 11 matches, though their impressive run came too late to mount a top six push after a disappointing start to the season.

McCann said: "They've been on a tremendous run which doesn't surprise me because I thought they were very good when they came to the Keepmoat.

“I thought they were one of the better teams we have played here.

"Plus there is the fact they've got a lot of players back from injury.

"Obviously the run has come too late to make the top six but if they'd have started a bit earlier they could possibly have done what Plymouth did last season.

"Karl was always quite confident in the group he'd got, from when I spoke to him here and when I've seen him at a few games out.

"I'm surprised they didn't keep themselves up around the top half for longer this season but I'm sure he'd tell you that they picked up some injuries at the wrong time. They're a good team with good players - players that have played at a higher level.”

"Every game is difficult at this level. If you're not on it you can get beat and if you are then you've got a chance of winning.

"We've got to make sure we're on it at the weekend."