'They are one of the best' - Doncaster Rovers boss speaks highly of Chesterfield and Paul Cook

The Spireites are 10th after seven matches ahead of Saturday’s trip to South Yorkshire to take on McCann’s men. Performances overall should have resulted in more points and the opposition boss has been impressed when doing his scouting work.

“I think they are a very good team," he told BBC Radio Sheffield. “We have watched them quite a bit and they look very good – one of the best we have seen in terms of how they play, the energy they have got, the players they have, how they have recruited – there is a lot to like about them. I think they are probably in a false position – I think they will come strong.”

Cook’s Wigan Athletic side beat McCann’s Hull City team 8-0 four years ago and Rovers’ manager has a lot of respect for his opposite number in the dugout this weekend.

He said: “They have got a good manager in Paul Cook, he knows what he is doing, he has been there and done it, promotions all over his CV, so we know exactly what we are coming up against.

"They are one of the best in the league in terms of possession. I think they are third and we are fourth. They are a possession-based football team, Paul’s teams over the years have always been that. He plays the game the right way and I have got a lot of admiration for him. He likes his teams to play probably similar to the way I like my teams to play in terms of moving the ball, energy, tempo and aggression.”

Doncaster pair James Maxwell and Zain Westbrooke have been training this week but this game might come too soon for them, McCann said, while experienced defender Richard Wood is also unavailable.

For Chesterfield, Cook said that Will Grigg (ankle) is available for selection and that there is set to be two debutants, possibly hinting at Max Thompson and John Fleck featuring.