DONCASTER Rovers will be checking on skipper Brian Stock ahead of tonight's eagerly-awaited South Yorkshire Championship derby against Sheffield United at the Keepmoat Stadium.
"Brian did a light training session yesterday until his back started to feel sore and it is a case of seeing how it reacts," said Rovers boss Sean O'Driscoll.
"He needs to train but the more he trains the more his back will react."
Included in John Toshack's 26-strong Wales World Cup squad yesterday, the midfielder has needed an injection prior to several games this season.
Rovers will be bidding to end a run of four successive defeats in the first meeting of the two clubs for 20 years.
Although looking forward to the first of successive derby games - Rovers visit Oakwell on Saturday - O'Driscoll said that given the choice he would have preferred to have a full week to work with his squad on the training pitch.
"At least with it being a quick turnaround it will give the players the chance to get Saturday's game against Southampton out of their system," he said.
"Whether we were playing tonight or Saturday, we still have to dust ourselves down and try to maintain the focus and belief that what we are doing is good enough.
"The right things to do are the things that you do whatever the score. If you don't do that then everything else becomes more difficult.
"You can get away with it at times and get results because that is what football is llke. But if we want to establish ourselves in the Championship then those standards have to be maintained whatever the scoreline.
"I think that whoever we played would have been a big game for us, but United are a strong side full of Championship, if not Premier Division, players.
"There is a lot of pressure on them to get back into the Premier Division and I don't think that you would bet against them being in one of the automatic promotion spots at the end of the season or being in the play-offs."
O'Driscoll travelled down to the capital last week to watch the Blades in action at Arsenal in the Carling Cup, and, although they lost 6-0, he still judged the exercise worthwhile.
"Although Arsenal were different class on the night, I thought that Sheffield did really well," he said.
"They kept going and showed a good professional attitude. They tried to do what they do very well and didn't throw in the towel."
Rovers could find themselves facing ex-Barnsley midfielder Brian Howard tonight if his loan deal is finalised in time.
O'Driscoll is an admirer of Howard - set to make a permanent move to Bramall Lane in January in a £500,000 deal.
"I know Brian from his Southampton days and he has got good ability on the ball," he said.
Striker Jason Price, who made an impressive return to action at the weekend, claims that Rovers are capable of blunting the Blades - particularly if they can score first.
"We just need a goal to give the team a boost," he said.
"The team isn't low on confidence; it is just that the ball just isn't going in for us.
"They are a strong outfit and have good goal scorers and good defenders.
What do you think? Post your comments below. READ MORE Blades Watch 08-09 - The Season So FarOwls Watch 08-09 - The Season So FarWatch Premiership highlights, international football, golf, tennis, darts and much moreFootball headlinesMore BladesMore OwlsMore SpireitesMore RoversMore RedsMore MillersMore Ice HockeyMore rugby leagueMore rugby unionMore boxingSports columnistsAll sport categoriesThe full article contains 622 words and appears in Doncaster Star newspaper.
