Doncaster Rovers meet Milton Keynes Dons to start the League One season, with both aiming for improvement as their managers begin their second seasons at the helm.

For Darren Moore, returning Doncaster to the play-offs is the aim after finishing an abridged 2019-20 campaign just short in ninth. Moore still holds a handsome reputation and it is difficult to argue that he underachieved at a club with lower financial resources than most of their top-six rivals, but he will demand more with a concerted push within their reach.

How they cope with the loss of Kieran Sadlier will be interesting to see, and they will once again rely on a good loan contingent which was added to this week by Tyreece John-Jules and Rayhaan Tulloch.

Russell Martin has had less time in what is his first job in management, having taken the reins at MK Dons in November. It was a surprise appointment at the time but he proved more than up to the job, steering them clear of danger while implementing a style of play closer to that of his most successful predecessor, Karl Robinson.

Replicating Robinson’s achievement in leading them to the Championship is likelier to be a longer-term project but the signs of progress have also been seen in this transfer window, with Scott Fraser an exciting signing in the past few days to add to a batch of arrivals which also includes former Derby County captain Richard Keogh.

By chance, this fixture is the reverse of the clubs’ previous league matches, just over six months ago. Doncaster’s 1-0 win at Stadium MK proved to be of little significance as football soon came to a halt, but the sides can resume at the Keepmoat Stadium full of hope for the season ahead.

Team news 

Left-back Reece James is back in contention after missing Doncaster’s first two cup matches of the season. With Josef Bursik and Danny Amos back from international duty Moore has a full squad to choose from, including John-Jules and Tulloch who will hope to make their debuts.

Fraser could make his MK Dons bow, while Daniel Harvie returns from Scotland Under-21s duty. Midfielder Ben Gladwin could make a return on the bench, but George Williams, Keogh, Louis Thompson and Kieran Agard are all sidelined.

Predicted line-ups 

Doncaster: Bursik; James, Anderson, Wright, Halliday; Whiteman, Gomes; Okenabirhie, Coppinger, Richards; John-Jules.

MK Dons: Nicholls; Brittain, Poole, Cargill, Lewington; Houghton, Kasumu, Sorensen, Fraser; Morris, Nombe.

What the managers have said 

These sides may have met in their previous league games, but Doncaster boss Moore says that will mean little in terms of preparation such has been the gap and the changes to the squads in the period since.

“There is a bit of going into the unknown for the first few weeks because no team has the data to work from on squads,” he said.

“It will probably take a few weeks before we can get the information needed to fully know what to expect from teams.”

Counterpart Martin said of the fixture: “It’s a tough start. We had a really good game against them away from home and then a tough one here at home (last season).

“We know it’ll be a tough start but everyone is excited to get back playing. I think the last two games have given everyone more reflection time to know what we need to work on.

“I’ve got a real belief in this group of players and what we’ve got here at the club so we’ll go into every game trying to win.”

Head-to-head 

MK Dons have never won in Doncaster, drawing four and losing two in that corner of South Yorkshire.

On-loan Jacob Ramsey scored the only goal for Doncaster in that last game in early March, following a 1-1 draw earlier in the campaign. That point was the only one MK Dons have taken in the last four meetings, and they have only beaten Rovers twice in the 12 meetings in total.

How to watch 

The match can be streamed live on the clubs’ respective streaming services, iFollow Rovers and iFollow MK Dons, with kick-off at 3pm on Saturday.

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