UPDATED: Why Ben Whiteman missed Doncaster Rovers' clash with Accrington Stanley

Whiteman suffered a minor knock to his knee in training during the week but it is not expected to keep him out of action for an extended period.

And he could shake off the knock for the main festive run of fixtures.

“Ben had a little bit of a knock in training,” Rovers boss Darren Moore said. “But we’re very hopeful he’s fit for the Boxing Day game.

“He wasn't fit enough for Saturday because he had a bit of an impact injury.

“We’ll assess him over the next couple of days and see how he is.

“It’s a blow to lose any player but to lose him 24 hours before kick-off is a big blow.

“It’s another hurdle we’ve had to get across and these unforeseen circumstances come up.”

The 23-year-old had played every minute in the league prior to his injury.