Injury list sees Rovers postpone

DONCASTER ROVERS have reluctantly called off Saturday’s League One visit of Shrewsbury Town because of the strains on their squad but Darren Moore still has players “champing at the bit” to feature in tonight’s Football League Trophy game at Oldham Athletic.

Moore insists even with England Under- 21 goalkeeper Josef Bursik, under- 20 Tyreece JohnJules and Northern Ireland Under21 defender Danny Amos missing he wanted to play at the weekend, but once Reece James joined Jason Lokilo and Rayhaan Tulloch on his injury list, he could not take the risk.

“I didn’t want to call the game off,” he insisted. “I wanted it on for our purposes, to keep our continuity going, irrespective of having three players on international duty but we picked up another injury on Saturday.

“Not knowing what the outcome of tonight’s game was going to be ( in terms of injuries) it left us in a risky, risky situation.”

Left- back James is expected to be fit for the League One trip to Portsmouth a week on Saturday.

“Reece James had a knock on his patella and he had a little bit of swelling around the knee so he won’t be considered tonight,” he explained. “He would have been 50- 50 for the game on Saturday so we decided to call it off.”

With their finishing Moore’s only real gripe this season, JohnJules’s absence could give Fejiri Okenabirhie chance to stake his claim. Victory for either side should qualify them for the knockout stages a game early.

“There’s a few of them champing at the bit to get some gametime because of the start to the season we’ve had,” said Moore.

“Fay’s a striker and I’m sure that he would have been sitting on the bench on Saturday looking at some of those chances go begging and feeling he wanted to be on the end of one or two of them.

“When you have a game like Saturday ( a 1- 0 defeat to Wigan Athletic) and it leaves a slightly bitter taste you just want to get back out.”

Bradford City host Wolverhampton Wanderers Under- 21s and Leicester City’s juniors are at the Keepmoat Stadium to face Harrogate Town.

Hull City’s match at home to Grimsby Town has been called off due to infections in the Mariners’ camp.