Injuries, star man and hopes of ‘doing a Donny’ – Doncaster Rovers get lowdown on Chesterfield
Q: How would you say the season has gone so far for Chesterfield?
LN: Chesterfield’s season has mainly been dominated by injuries, with the number of absentees well into the double figures over the Christmas and New Year period. They can’t seem to catch a break and the latest setback is new signing Kyle McFadzean being ruled out for a lengthy period with a knee injury after just one-and-a-half games into his Spireites career. The injuries have meant they haven’t been able to name a consistent line-up and build any momentum.
They have struggled to break teams down at home, drawing seven times, which is the most in the league, while they have shown a soft underbelly on their travels at times. There is still hope that they can ‘do a Donny’ and go on a run
like Rovers did last season and get into the play-offs and maybe the top three but they need to start stringing some wins together if that is going to happen. But it is their first season back at this level for six years, and people are still enjoying the ride. However, given the tightness of the league, you can’t help but feel it might be a missed opportunity this season.
Q: Where does that 3-0 win at Rovers earlier in the season rank in terms of high points this term?
LN: It’s right up there. It’s actually a game Paul Cook has mentioned recently in his last couple of pressers, explaining how they came away from that match in a good place but then had to make five changes for the next fixture because of injuries, which kind of sums up the season. It’s been a frustrating campaign and the longer it goes on you start to think that it just isn’t meant to be for the Spireites this term.
Q: Who is the dangerman to look out for and can Rovers expect a different style and/or personnel from the previous meeting?
LN: Armando Dobra. He’s been a shining light amid all the injuries, scoring five goals in his last 10 games. His form led to solid interest from Stockport County, as well as reportedly from Derby County, but he stayed put past deadline day.
