Doncaster Rovers tweak schedule for long Plymouth Argyle trip as 'fake' table becomes sole focus

The 300-mile jaunt to Devon always represents a logistical challenge but Rovers' hierarchy have given the go-ahead for a two-night stayover for players and staff to ensure preparation is as fine-tuned as possible for the meeting with Tom Cleverley's side.

Players will train, as usual, at Cantley this morning before the long journey this afternoon. They'll then train at a base in the south - believed to be in or around Bristol - on Friday in preparation for Saturday's fixture. Pre-match press duties are being done "on the road" on Friday morning by manager Grant McCann prior to training.

Outlining the schedule, McCann said: "We have to travel to Plymouth on Thursday and obviously get there and try and get some recovery into some of the players who need it and some training into those who need it. We have to switch our focus on to that now.

"We'll train on Thursday and then we'll travel that day. Then we'll train down there somewhere on Friday. It's important we do things like this (stop-overs) to try and keep the players ready for games. So I'm hoping because of these travel (plans) they might start the game a little bit better at Plymouth. So we'll see."

McCann's latter comments refer to sluggish starts in recent weeks, with a raft of half-time substitutions being required to awake his side from their slumber. That was the case again midweek, in the below-par EFL Trophy exit at home to Stockport County. With just their league duties to now keep them occupied, the manager says all the attention is on climbing the rankings - both the genuine League One standings and the synthetic league table that plots the club's results during the final 22 games.

"It allows you to sharpen the focus," McCann added. "We've got 13 games left now and that's the target: finishing strong. I've mentioned before about the 22-game table and we've been really good so far in terms of that. I think we've got 16 points from nine games so far, so we've been quite strong and now we just need to focus."

Meanwhile, McCann has doubled down on his warning to those players who he believes are under-performing right now. With a clutch of stars entering the final months of their deals, McCann told the Yorkshire Post in the wake of the Stockport defeat: “They've got to play for a lot here. They're playing for their futures. It's as simple as that. They've got a choice. They can either sulk about it or they can knuckle down and be a part of it. Some of them are not just at a level at this moment.

"Listen, I'm a nice enough guy. But I've got a ruthless side to me. That's why I'm in this job. If I feel like someone's not pulling their weight, they won't be here too long."