Southend United v Doncaster Rovers: Joe Wright confident Rovers will be ready for next campaign

A chronic amount of bad luck on the injury front has been the Rovers’ story for huge swathes of 2017-18

But one of their consistently shining lights in Joe Wright is confident that a far more seamless campaign should lie ahead next term, should Rovers retain their divisional status.

He firmly believes that the experience garnered at this level – during some bouts of adversity – by a number of the club’s young players, including himself, will also stand them in good stead.

Evidence suggests so and despite regular injury interruptions, Rovers are still in a relatively decent position in lower-mid-table, with Wright believing that a few more wins should secure their safety and enable them to look ahead to next season with positivity.

Wright, who is now contracted at the club until next summer after Rovers invoked a 12-month clause in his deal, said: “For a lot of us – myself, Niall (Mason) and a few others – it has been our first season in League One.

“So it has just been about adapting to that, really and I think that will enable us to crack on next year.

“I think there is only four players from the team who went down (in 2015-16) and it has been a big turnaround in and out of the club.

“Stepping up a level has maybe taken a little bit longer than we would have hoped, but it will give us that experience going into next season.”