Doncaster Rovers: Alex Kiwomya set to leave on loan

The striker has made only three appearances for Rovers this season and none since late August as he has found himself down the pecking order in the competitive attacking ranks.

It is understood the club Kiwomya is set to join is Chesterfield with the deal likely to be confirmed on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old did not feature in Tuesday night's 2-0 win over Grimsby Town in the Checkatrade Trophy and boss Grant McCann confirmed he would be leaving the club on a temporary basis.

'Alex is going to go on loan,' McCann said.

'He will go on loan to the National League. It's important.

'There's the three players who played in the first team on Saturday, three players that played against Grimsby and there's Will Longbottom who is close and knocking on the door.

'Alex needs to go and play games.

'He missed a huge chunk of last season through and illness.

'He hasn't got anywhere near the first team for the last month.

'For us it's important that he goes and plays some men's football.'

McCann insists the door is open for the Sheffield-born striker and feels he can play in his system.

Kiwomya came off the bench on the opening day of the season and then started the following game against Wycombe Wanderers but has made only one brief substitute appearance since.

'He was very close at the start of the season,' McCann said.

'He was the first sub to come on against Southend I think.

'He started one of the games and then got an injury after it.

'And then he just hasn't kicked on from it.

'Unfortunately in football, people overtake you and that is what has happened with Alex.

'We're hoping he's going to a club with a manager who is not going to take any rubbish '“ not saying that Alex does give you that.

'But Alex will go there and work hard. He will go there and make sure he's working hard week in, week out.

'I think it's exactly what he needs at this time of his career.'

Kiwomya missed the entirety of the first half of last season after contracting the rare auto-immune disorder Guillain'“Barré syndrome.

Degenerating his muscles, Kiwomya took some time to rebuild his body before returning to action.

But McCann does not believe the after effects of the illness are continuing to have an influence on the striker.

'I don't think it is,' he said.

'He's trained every single day after a good pre-season.

'He's just found it difficult with the form of others.

'He's found it difficult when he's not been available and he's picked up an injury, others have stepped in for him.

'And I think he's at the stage of his career with us where it's important because he's got another year with us.

'If he doesn't play between now and January, he gets there and says he wants to play but I'm not sure who is going to take Alex Kiwomya on loan with him having not played for five or six months.

'The club he's going to is a good club and I think he can go there and relish the opportunity.

'He's there until January, we'll review it then and who knows he may come back to us then more ready than the ones who haven't been playing.'

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Doncaster Rovers 2 Grimsby Town 0