Doncaster Rovers anxious to avoid any more 'fixture hiccups'

Rovers’ midweek League One game at Blackpool was called off just an hour before kick off due to a waterlogged pitch, with the promotion chasers now having to fit in another game and date to their already crammed diary.

As it stands, Rovers have just one free midweek date until the final week of the season.

That is in just under a month's time, but the Blackpool fixture is unable to be re-scheduled then because that the Lancashire club already have a designated midweek fixture pencilled in for Tuesday, March 23.

An added complication to the fixture scheduling in League One and League Two - hit by a raft of Covid-19 and weather related postponements this winter - is the fortnight-long international break from late March to the start of April, which could potentially see more games having to be re-scheduled due to call-ups.

Clubs have the right, if they so choose, to ask for a game to be called off if three of their players have been selected by their respective international sides.

Moore is hopeful that international managers will adopt a common sense attitude to call-ups involving lower-division players and only put players in who are guaranteed to be involved in their squads.

As it stands, Rovers have 19 fixtures to play between now and May 8, while Blackpool have twenty, with the next free scheduled date for a potential midweek game between the pair being at the start of May.

Understandably, Moore is keen that Rovers avoid a scenario where they potentially have to play four games in a week..

Another potential option could involve amendments to the Easter schedule to maybe enable a fixture to be fitted on a midweek date right at the end of March.

Moore said: “It’s incredible really. We are going full tilt and I am grateful we have an opportunity to fit the game in and there are probably one or two at the trapdoor in terms of really overloading in a week.

“Hopefully, there will be no more hiccups along the way.

“It has not been confirmed yet but we think we have got a date in mind that does not let us go to that extreme of having that many fixtures (four in a week). We have got a couple of weeks from now to house the game and we will put those options to the EFL.

"On the international scene, I think the international managers will understand that anyone called up will be to play and I don’t think any will call up players just to sit and make up squads when their counterparts at League One and League One would potentially be put in a position where they are having to play games and putting results at risk because they have not got their best players on the pitch.

Meanwhile, Moore says striker Fejiri Okenabirhie should be available for the weekend trip to Ipswich Town after recovering from ankle injury.

He played for 45 minutes in an in-house training ground game this week.

Moore said: “Fay is fine and well and trained really well and I am pleased with him and he’s okay.”