Barnsley FC boss Michael Duff provides Luca Connell update and makes a promise regarding League One relegation battle

Connell missed the key home fixture with second-placed Ipswich Town in midweek due to illness and his absence was keenly felt.

But he is on the mend and likely to be available for the Reds' final away game of the league season.

Head coach Michael Duff said: "Luca did a run yesterday (Wednesday) at home and the fact that he felt well enough to do that, we are hoping he will be available for the weekend. It was just a sickness bug.

"He was sick for three or four hours and he just felt weak and tired and we are hoping he will be back in the group.

"We have a couple of bumps. It's nothing significant or serious, we will see how they are today. We will assess and pick a team who we think can win the game."

With their top-two hopes now over and play-off place already confirmed - with the Reds at home for the second leg of their play-off semi-final next month - there is little riding on their trip to Buckinghamshire.

But for the relegation threatened hosts, it is a fixture of high significance, with MK pitted in a fight to avoid relegation alongside Oxford United, Morecambe, Accrington Stanley and Cambridge United.

Duff is mindful of freshening up his side in preparation for the priority business of the play-offs, but is also conscious of being fair to the league and picking a competitive side to aim to win the fixture.

He continued: "That's the balance we have to get. We are guaranteed to now have at least two extra games at the end of the season, so there's lots of things that go into the melting pot.

"We need to be fair to the league. But we have pretty much made five substitutions (apiece) in the last ten games, I'd imagine. If I thought I was devaluing the team by putting subs on, I wouldn't put subs on.

"I think we have got a very, very good squad. I can assure that any team picked will be based on trying to win the game. It is not a case of resting ten or 11 players going into next week.

"We will be fully focused on going down there and winning the game."