Doncaster Rovers: Ferguson gives injury verdict on Matty Blair

Doncaster Rovers have received a welcome fitness boost with news Matty Blair has avoided serious injury.
Matty BlairMatty Blair
Matty Blair

Blair was withdrawn on the hour mark of Rovers’ win over Crewe Alexandra on Saturday with fears the club’s cursed injury record this season would strike again.

But the versatile wide man is back in training and will be available for Saturday’s trip to Yeovil Town.

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“Matty just took a slight knock on Saturday,” boss Darren Ferguson told The Star.

“He was feeling it quite a bit but he’s fine. He trained on Tuesday.”

Ferguson is delighted to have Blair available.

He said: “Matty’s a very good player an, in terms of the energy he brings to a game getting up and down, he’s incredible.

“He’s probably the fastest player we’ve got. He probably doesn’t look it at times because he’s so effortless. He floats across the ground.

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“The amount of games he’s played shows how versatile he is. He’s played on the right of a diamond, wing back, full back.

“He’s very good when he’s got space in front of him and very hard to play against.

“I’ve been delighted with him. He’s a fantastic lad, a great character.”

Another player back in training is forward Liam Mandeville, for whom a thigh injury has kept him out since the New Year’s Eve trip to Mansfield Town.

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Ferguson is confident the 19-year-old will be fit for this weekend’s away trip.

But Mandeville was not risked in Rovers’ behind-closed-doors friendly with Sheffield Wednesday yesterday.

“There was no point in risking him because we wanted to get a couple of fays training into him,” Ferguson said.

“He trained well Monday and Tuesday. He’ll go again on Thursday and I fully expect him to be involved on Saturday.”

Mitchell Lund, Joe Wright, Craig Alcock, Cedric Evina, Harry Middleton, Paul Keegan, Ross Etheridge, Alfie Beestin and Alfie May all featured against a strong Wednesday side.