What Doncaster Rovers boss Grant McCann said about signing more new players

Doncaster have already brought in nine players this summer, with the majority arriving at the club before the start of pre-season last month, giving the team plenty of time to gel before the start of the new campaign on August 5.

With no fewer than 30 players under contract for next term, some of the club’s young professionals are expected to begin leaving on loan in the coming days.

Discussing further incomings at a Q&A event with supporters on Wednesday evening, McCann said: “I think we are near enough finished.

"It’s been good that we have been able to get the business done early.

"Nearly everyone we went for we got, which is pleasing. We are really pleased with the group, there’s competition all through it.”

McCann also revealed he is close to deciding on his starting XI for the first game of the season at home to Harrogate Town.

He said: “For the Sheffield Wednesday and Port Vale games, we will be looking to get our strongest XI that we feel has done really well in pre-season on the pitch.

"We are really pleased with how pre-season is going. Fitness levels, they (the players) are looking good. It’s the tactical stuff we need to nail down in the next two or three weeks.”

McCann described the 1-0 defeat in Tuesday’s friendly against York City as a “wake-up call”. He takes his new-look side to Scunthorpe for their next warm-up match on Saturday.

The popular returning boss admitted he wants people to be talking about his team ahead of the new campaign after hearing they had been billed as dark horses in the League Two promotion race.

He said: “They should be talking about us, I like that.

"We need to show people we have got a good squad here and try and create that fear-factor when people come to this stadium, like we had when I was first here.”

Rovers made the League One play-offs during McCann’s first spell in charge of the club during the 2018/19 season.