Josef Bursik a Doncaster Rovers goalkeeping target admits manager Darren Moore

Timothy Dieng was Rovers' first-choice goalkeeper last season, starting 27 League One games on loan from Queens Park Rangers, but has since returned to West London. Moore has loaned Dieng's deputy, Ian Lawlor, to Oldham Athletic, leaving 21-year-old Louis Jones, yet to make a first-team appearance, as his most senior goalkeeper.

Bursik, who only recently turned 20 but is an England youth international in various age groups who has played league football, has been linked with a loan move to the Keepmoat Stadium, and manager Moore admitted there is interest.

“He's one of the names on the list. It's not just him but he's one of the targeted goalkeepers we've looked at,” he revealed.

“There's one or two deals imminent at the moment. We've identified one or two players we want to add to the squad very, very quickly but the hardest bit is just getting them over the line. They've been identified and we want to bring them in now because we want to try and integrate them straight away into the team

" The team was brought together as a whole for the first time today (Thursday) because we've been working to the guidelines we've been given.

“It's from now onwards we wanted to try and get players in. I've not really pushed it before because we wanted to keep the group small so there's less interference from outside to limit the risk but now we are trying to push hard to add to that and I'd like to say we're close because we've identified them (targets) and had talks with clubs about these players. It's now these clubs agreeing to release the players and allowing them to come.”

Bursik made 20 appearances on loan at League One Accrington Stanley last season, including against Doncaster at the Keepmoat in December.

Rovers, who have been out of action since March 7 because of the coronavirus pandemic, play the first of six pre-season friendlies on Saturday, but Moore is not rushing to have a new goalkeeper by then.

“If the keeper doesn't arrive before Saturday at Scunthorpe or before Bradford (the next friendly), I'm happy to go with Louis Jones providing there are no injuries.

“But we are in serious talks with a goalkeeper. We're hoping that arrival will be sooner rather than later.”

Precise details of the warm-up games are sketchy, but Rovers are also expected to play two Championship clubs, one of them twice, and complete their programme against Manchester United Under-23s on September 1. Their season will start with a League Cup first round tie due to be on September 5, although this could move if it is affected by international call-ups.With the health protocols allowing Doncaster to train together as a group from Thursday, Moore will now look to bring in some free agents on trial to assess their worth.

“Now there's the opportunity to get some trailists in and we can hand-pick the ones we really want to look at in certain positions,” he explained. “That presents opportunities.

“I think over the course of these next 10 days you'll see some players coming in with a real intent to look at where they are physically and the impact they can give us with the possibility of maybe making a signing.”

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