After 50 years outside the top two tiers of English football, Rovers announced their return to the Championship with a shock victory over Derby County last weekend.

Some supporters are talking about the possibility of promotion to the Premier League, but O'Driscoll has moved quickly to pour cold water on those high expectations.

"We are probably going to lose more games this season than we ever have done – just because of the quality we are up against," he warned. "There are 16 teams that have been in the Premier Division – each with massive budgets. If you stick your head in the sand and think everything is going to be hunky dory, you are being really naive."

O'Driscoll is convinced that today's opponents Cardiff City, who were beaten in last season's FA Cup final, will offer a far stiffer test of Rovers' credentials than Derby.

"I don't want to be disrespectful to Derby, but I think even (their manager) Paul Jewell would concede that Cardiff have a more settled team. This will be the first real test where we are up against someone who you know will be there or thereabouts at the end of the season.

"They have used money generated from the Cup run to strengthen the team and you wouldn't be surprised if they strengthened again before the transfer window shuts. I would imagine Dave Jones, his board, and the club's supporters imagine them being there or thereabouts at the end of the season. Whether that is play-offs or automatic, is still in the lap of the gods," he added.

O'Driscoll confirmed his own transfer budget is now exhausted after bringing in Darren Byfield, Matthew Mills, Joss van Nieuwstadt, James Chambers, John Spicer, and Tomi Ameobi this summer.

"The budget I was given is now gone basically," he admitted. "At this minute in time, we wouldn't be looking for anymore – but this is still as strong a squad as Doncaster has ever had.

"There may be one or two who need to go out and get games and, if that happens, it will free up some finance for loan players," he added.

"Stoke City used the loan market really well last season and got promoted – but they went for expensive players and used their budget taking players from Premier Division clubs on big wages. That proved to be correct but that is not a scenario available to us because we are not financially as strong."

Rovers will be hosting second- tier football for the first time since April 1958 today and chairman John Ryan is looking forward to a bumper crowd in excess of 12,000 to mark the occasion.

"I can't remember if I was at the game 50 years ago – we drew 1-1 with Ipswich – but I think I might have been," he said. "We are a Championship club now and we can hopefully go out there on Saturday and get our first home league win."