Portsmouth v Doncaster Rovers: Kieran Agard and Adam Clayton made to wait for Rovers opportunity

Ex-Rotherham United striker Agard has made four appearances for Rovers since arriving in early January, having been an unused substitute in the past three matches against the Millers, Sunderland and Ipswich.

Given the fact that he started just three league matches earlier this season for previous club Plymouth Argyle, it perhaps points to a player still striving to reach his optimum levels in terms of match sharpness.

You have to go back over a year for the last time that experienced midfielder Clayton started a competitive game, with the former Leeds United, Huddersfield Town and Middlesbrough man playing ‘catch-up’ in terms of his competitive fitness.

But given the fact that the pair were handed 18-month deals last month, Rovers are not just looking at the short-term with the pair. The feeling is that their time will come.

Speaking ahead of this afternoon’s trip to Fratton Park, boss Gary McSheffrey said: “Ultimately, whoever plays or doesn’t, there is competition for places.

“So get complacent and you are not a fixture. If a striker is scoring every game, they are playing – simple as that.

“But if they are not, there’s competition for places and they have all got to be at it in training and look fresh and hungry and we pick the players accordingly.”

Specifically on Clayton, who has made two brief substitute appearances against Rotherham and Plymouth, he added: “He is training every day and we’ve given him a good programme.

“We are doing some in-house 11 v 11’s and he’s had two or three of those now. He is finding his range.

“He has been good in finding his passing range and moving the ball a bit faster and soon he will be ready to be re-introduced into the squad.

“With some of the teams that we are playing at the minute, they are really at it, robust and fit and really sharp and we need to pick teams accordingly who can match the physical levels of the opposition.”