United manager Graham Alexander says his players are eager to deliver a home win against MK Dons at Glanford Park this Saturday.
Alexander knows the challenge which awaits the team though, but stated everyone in the dressing room is raring to go.Speaking to The Iron PlayerHD, Alexander said: “It’ll be a good game. They’ve got a very good away record and they’ve got good players, obviously they were in the Championship last year, so they have a Championship team.
“We know of their threats, but it’s a good game for us as well because we want to get back out at Glanford Park. We want to get back to what we do well and how we play. It’s important we focus on that and make sure we learnt from the game on Saturday.
“We’re in a good place. There’s a little disappointment from the game last week, but we’re focused on this game now, and all that’s gone on is now behind us.”
He added that there’s a sense of anticipation heading into the clash with Karl Robinson’s side - something Alexander feels bodes well.
Another plus point for the Scunthorpe boss is the added preparation time which has been afforded, with no midweek game to negotiate. Alexander believes it was something the squad were in need of, given the hectic schedule of late.
“The lads are excited about the game because it’s a good game for us. We know that MK Dons like to play decent football, so it’ll be a competitive game,” Alexander stated.
“It has been good (having a full week to prepare), because it gives us a bit of recovery time in between the games - which the players needed. It gives us a chance to look back at what we’ve done, what we could improve on, and hopefully we can take it into the game on Saturday.”
Injuries wise, Alexander doesn’t have too many concerns praying on his mind, with him highlighting that Luke Williams and Jordan Clarke are the only players who’ll miss out this weekend.
“Everyone got through it (Saturday’s game against Northampton Town) relatively well. They’ve all trained this week and they’re all chomping at the bit, ready to be available for selection,” he revealed.
“Luke (Williams) is a little bit further ahead than he was, with him obviously being out of his medical boot now. He’s trained this week with the physios, he’s not back with us yet.
“Jordan’s (Clarke) still doing gym work, because he’s at an earlier stage of his injury, so neither of those two will be in contention for selection for another couple of weeks yet.”
So few injury problems mean that the United manager will have one or two selection dilemmas ahead of the game, and he insisted the application of his players makes his decision all the more tougher.
“Regardless of the result I always look at the performance of individuals, of the team and see what’s needed for the next game,” he explained.
“I like to reward players’ performance levels with the shirt. It’s mine and my staff’s job to analyse everything, and put out a team that we feel can win the game on Saturday. The players as a group, not just the 11 that start, but the whole group have been superb so far this season, they really have.
“There are a few disappointed boys each week, which you’d expect in a competitive squad, but they all show great respect for each other and they’re all ready to go once they get a chance in the team.”
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