'Front-foot and aggressive' - what Chesterfield can expect from Doncaster Rovers in exciting League Two clash

The Spireites will be backed by a sold-out away end of 3,000 in the first meeting between the two sides in eight years.

Ahead of the game, we spoke to Rovers journalist Ricky Charlesworth, of the Doncaster Free Press, to get the latest insight on Town’s next opponents…

How would you sum up the start to the season so far?

So far, so steady. Rovers' manager Grant McCann indicated straight after the Crewe play-off defeat last season that the aim was the title and that helped with a speedy recruitment process over the summer. The start - 13 points yielded from seven games - is probably deemed by McCann as acceptable but his standards are high and he'll want them to increase their points-per-game tally with a win here.

What have been the main positives and areas to improve on?

The positives have been that when the team clicks into gear they look red-hot. That was the case against Accrington and also in spells against Port Vale. The problem is that it's not happened often enough so far. In terms of areas for improvement, McCann will want to sharpen up defensively with just two shut-outs so far. Defending from set-pieces is also an area that could do with addressing.

Who are the key men Chesterfield need to be aware of?

Luke Molyneux, on his day, is one of the stand-out players in this division and started this season brightly with four goals and two assists in his opening seven league games. He is the biggest threat to look out for but you also can't ignore the likes of Billy Sharp or Joe Ironside - both clinical poachers at this level.

What style of play can we expect from Rovers?

McCann usually deploys his favoured 4-2-3-1 but last week at MK Dons he switched to a back three - something he's done in the past - owing to them being a man light. It worked as they scored an equaliser and generally looked the more likely to grab a winner. In terms of style, McCann's teams play on the front foot and are aggressive, especially on home turf where they'll be chasing a victory that would set an all-time club record of consecutive home league wins.

What have been the main messages from manager Grant McCann?

McCann is bullish and knows the squad he's put together is quality and should be competing at the top end. After defeats to Newport and Harrogate he didn't tear into his team, instead maintaining a belief that they'd put it right in their next games which they duly did.

Any injuries or suspensions?

There's currently three defenders out: full-back pair James Maxwell and Tom Nixon along with centre-half and captain Richard Wood. All three are on the mend but are unavailable for the Spireites' visit. The only other absentee is midfielder Harry Clifton who serves a one-game ban after being sent off at MK Dons.

Predicted line-up?

Sharman-Lowe, Sterry, Anderson, McGrath, Fleming, Bailey, Sbarra, Kelly, Molyneux, Ironside, Gibson.