Doncaster Rovers v Harrogate Town: Simon Weaver happy to have 'good type of selection headache'

An injury-ravaged Sulphurites side romped to a convincing away victory at fellow strugglers Rochdale last time out, but could have as many as four players back available for selection this weekend.

Weaver was minus the services of 10 injured squad members at Spotland, plus the suspended Joe Mattock.

But experienced centre-half Mattock has now served his one-match ban, while Town’s treatment room is starting to empty.

Six-goal midfielder Alex Pattison is back in training, as is versatile attacker Max Wright, with fellow forward Jack Muldoon due to join back in with group sessions on Thursday and Friday.

"It probably would have been too soon to have risked Patto against Northampton last weekend, but he should be okay for Saturday, assuming he comes through the two remaining sessions this week without any problems,” Weaver told the Harrogate Advertiser.

"And Max is the same. He could be in contention at Doncaster, he’s ready to give it some now.

"Jack Muldoon is due to train Thursday and Friday and so we’ll see how his groin is feeling after that.

"Obviously Joe Mattock is available again now, so it is great to have four bodies potentially coming back into the squad. It is certainly timely with the number of lads we have been without and it gives us all a massive lift.

"It’s nice to be driving home from training feeling uplifted rather than worrying about another player who has pulled up. It’s a selection headache, but the good type of selection headache.”

Weaver is not usually one to tinker too much with a winning team, and given how well Town performed as they took Rochdale apart in their previous outing, he has conceded that he will have to give serious thought to whether he makes any changes to his starting line-up.

“There is a lot to consider," he added.

"The lads who we sent out at Rochdale did ever so well, and I know how demotivating it can be for players if they are given a chance in the team, deliver a good performance and then get left out for the next game.

"So I’ve got to manage that, but there are worse problems to have.”

Although Pattison, Wright and potentially even Muldoon could all be fit enough to play some part at Doncaster, Harrogate remain without seven members of their first-team squad due to injury.

Goalkeeper Mark Oxley (hand), central defenders Rory McArdle (calf) and Will Smith (knee), left-back Lewis Richards (ankle), midfielders Matty Daly (knee) and Stephen Dooley (groin and foot) and striker Dior Angus (ankle) are all still on the long-term injury list.

Town will make the short journey across to South Yorkshire 20th in the table but in decent form having recorded comprehensive victories over Mansfield and Rochdale in their two previous league outings.

Doncaster sit 10th and know that a derby win at the weekend could lift them into the play-off places.

Their game last Saturday did beat the weather and saw them triumph 1-0 at Newport County, though they were turned over on home soil by Walsall in the game immediately prior to that, a fortnight on from their dismal 3-0 defeat at struggling Colchester United.