Why Grant McCann's worries have eased at Doncaster Rovers - and it is nothing to do with results in League Two

It was not necessarily all down to results either.

Admittedly, Rovers’ opening to 2023-24 was tough. But McCann’s wider concerns were the options at his disposal.

It was a time when he crossed his fingers when his team trained. Ahead of one particular game last October, he was without 14 players due to an injury crisis and it affected things in training.

A year on and Rovers’ numbers are healthier. Their form is pretty good, too, they are currently only off the top of the table on goal difference and their league position is encouraging, even though it’s early days.

McCann said: "It gives you a chance to train with intensity, that’s what it does. When you have so many players in the treatment room, you are actually worried about training and contact in training and getting more (injuries).

"We haven’t really had to worry about that. We’ve been able to keep the intensity that we like to train at every day because we are back in numbers."

The presence of a number of young professionals on a daily basis is also aiding matters on the training front, according to McCann.

Several are out on loan at non-league clubs, but continue to train in the working week at Cantley Park to ensure that training sessions are as intense as possible, while also facilitating in their own development.

McCann, whose side welcome Crewe - who knocked them out of the play-off semi-finals back in May - on Saturday, continued: "Even when we haven’t had the numbers, we’ve had the likes of Kasper (Williams), Will Flint, Sam (Straughan) Brown, Jack Goodman, Jack Degruchy and Freddie Allen all in and around the training ground every day, even though many are on loan.

"They are still here and we still have the numbers to make sure the intensity of the training sessions is good.

"That’s been pleasing. As well as the young boys being here when they are not training, they review their clips and do everything they can.

"They go to their loan clubs whenever they train on a Tuesday, but they are still around our building."