Doncaster Rovers hopeful of Houghton return

Houghton, 21, is well down the road to recovery after suffering a serious knee injury with Rovers in February and will be ready to head back north shortly.

Ferguson, who reports no fresh injury problems for Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup second-round encounter with Hull City, said: “Houghton is definitely coming. It is basically just paperwork getting done (now), it has all been agreed.

“He needs a few games with Chelsea, but we are probably looking at about the middle of September.

“They have got a couple of games and I think that they are trying to organise a friendly in the international week, which would be another game for him.

“I spoke to him on Saturday. He played half an hour for Chelsea in the (Premier League 2) game against Derby and looked very good. I had a good chat with him and he felt fine.

“He will play an hour next and whatever Chelsea decide to do with him. But he will be with us at the middle of September.”

Ferguson, who says he is mulling over who will start up front with Alfie May tomorrow, has also confirmed that defender Mathieu Baudry’s absence with an Achilles injury is likely to be a week or two longer than expected.

The Rovers chief added: “Baudry has gone back to the surgeon and he’s probably going to be one or two weeks more than we thought which is a bit of a blow for him.

“It is healing, but it’s taking a bit longer than we thought.

“I would be guessing that Baudry and Luke McCulllough would be back around a similar time, around the end of September.”