Preview: Doncaster Rovers vs. Fleetwood Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Two sides battling at the foot of League One meet on Saturday, as bottom club Doncaster Rovers welcome Fleetwood Town to the Eco-Power Stadium.

While the hosts have the weakest attack in the division, their visitors - sitting six points ahead of them - have been dire defensively and lost their last game 3-0 at home to Shrewsbury.

Match preview

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Still stuck in 24th and last spot in the League One standings, following their 15th loss of the campaign last weekend, Doncaster are six points adrift of safety at the season's halfway stage.

Their latest setback was all the more difficult to take, having raced into a three-goal lead before the half-hour mark at Morecambe, before eventually succumbing to a morale-crushing 4-3 defeat.

Such a capitulation will also hurt new boss Gary McSheffrey, as he finally saw his goal-shy side find some form in the final third, but they somehow squandered their lead after the break and were beaten by two strikes in the final 10 minutes.

Former Coventry striker McSheffrey was appointed on a full-time basis last month, after previously overseeing four fixtures on an interim basis. Under his guidance, Rovers picked up their first league win in seven attempts against Shrewsbury in December, but they have since lost their last two while conceding seven times in the process.

Doncaster's descent to rock bottom therefore leaves their status as a third-tier club in peril heading into the second half of the 2021-22 campaign, though recent back-to-back exits from the EFL Trophy and the FA Cup at least allows them to focus purely on preserving their place in League One.

In addition to improving their attacking threat by being more direct in and around the opposition area, McSheffrey has stated his twin aims to increase Donny's fitness and work-rate, so will hope to see some results in that regard on Saturday.

Fleetwood, meanwhile, arrive in South Yorkshire sitting just four places above their hosts in the table, and could be hauled within three points of Doncaster if they fall to another defeat.

Having lost seven of eight games in all competitions from the start of November, culminating in a 5-1 thrashing by Accrington Stanley, the Lancashire outfit had demonstrated great character to post two wins and as many clean sheets from their three league matches before the Boxing Day visit of Shrewsbury.

Despite holding their visitors to 0-0 until the interval, Fleetwood then proceeded to leak three unanswered goals in the second half, and have since been sidelined by the latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the worst-hit clubs in the EFL, they were unable to field a team for two successive matches against high-fliers Wigan and Sunderland, so have some ground to make up in the forthcoming weeks.

Like Saturday's opponents, the Cod Army opted to switch managers in mid-season, and new boss Stephen Crainey was recently confirmed as head coach until the end of the campaign.

Notwithstanding their final game of 2021, results under Crainey have improved upon the final weeks of his predecessor Simon Grayson, but Fleetwood will now be under pressure to capitalise on their opposition's woes this weekend.

Team News

Ahead of Fleetwood's visit, Doncaster have several fitness concerns to contend with, as manager Gary McSheffrey must do without Charlie Seaman, Tom Anderson, Ben Close, Jon Taylor, John Bostock, Cameron John and Fejiri Okenabirhie.

Both Omar Bogle (hamstring) and Dan Gardner (thigh) are doubtful, too, having been substituted at Morecambe last weekend, though Aidan Barlow is now expected to have fully recovered from COVID-19 and should feature at some stage.

Ro-Shaun Williams returned to the squad last week and may also make an appearance, while if Gardner fails to recover in time, Tommy Rowe may move into midfield.

While Fleetwood have been out of action for a fortnight, after a number of COVID-19 cases and injury problems left them unable to field a 14-man squad, they are now set to return to the fray with most of their main men available.

Though they have struggled defensively this term, they have not been short of options going forward, so will hope to have left-back Danny Andrew available following his six goals and same number of assists in the first half of the season.

His tally has only been bettered by Gerard Garner, who has netted seven, and the 23-year-old academy product should start up front.

Doncaster Rovers possible starting lineup:
Jones; Knoyle, Olowu, Rowe, Horton; Smith, Galbraith; Barlow, Gardner, Hiwula; Dodoo

Fleetwood Town possible starting lineup:
Cairns; Johnston, McLaughlin, Clarke, Andrew; Lane, Morton, Biggins, Matete, Conn-Clarke; Garner

We say: Doncaster Rovers 1-1 Fleetwood Town

Even though their fortunes had improved a little before an enforced spell on the sidelines, Fleetwood are sure to have lost some match-fitness in the past two weeks, and will pay the price on Saturday.

Doncaster can therefore secure a valuable point against their relegation rivals - fired on by determination to bounce back from last week's implosion.

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