Grant McCann says he’s expecting a difficult game against this weekend’s opponents MK Dons as he celebrates his 250th game in charge of Doncaster Rovers down in Buckinghamshire.
Rovers were soundly beaten on Tuesday evening against promotion hopefuls Luton Town at Kenilworth Round in a missed opportunity to build some much-needed momentum following the jubilation of last Saturday’s victory over Sheffield Wednesday on home soil.
McCann’s men, however, have made clear progress, picking up three wins from their last six games after a winless run in their prior six matches.
MK Dons have also grown into the season. Paul Warne’s side climbed up to 14th in the table after an emphatic 4-1 win over Bromley and have also won the same amount as Rovers in the last six after a slow winless start.
“When you're playing against Paul's teams, you know they're going to be physical, they're going to be aggressive in your face, organised,” said McCann.
“So we know what we're coming up against. We've obviously had them watched) and we've prepared for them for the last couple of days.”
After the heroics of Saturday, Rovers went unchanged for the loss to Luton, but will they shuffle the pack this time around?
Here’s our predicted lineup.
1. Tommy Simkin
An everpresent in the league this season, England U21 goalkeeper Tommy Simkin is likely to remain between the posts. | Howard Roe
2. Jamie Sterry
The Newcastle United academy graduate had a tough evening against Kasey Palmer in midweek but was excellent against Sheffield Wednesday prior to that. His return to fitness has brought balance to the team meaning he should keep his place.
3. Sean Grehan
The young defender has emerged as an increasingly important member of the team this season. He's likely to feature alongside his fellow countrymen. | Howard Roe AHPIX LTD 07973739229 [email protected]
4. Neill Byrne
The central defender has started every league game this season and has been a regular in the heart of defence since his move from Bradford City. | National World