Pocket Preview 10: MK Dons v Stockport County
From one Dons to another, County look for their first back-to-back wins of the season with another trip away, this time to Milton Keynes.
A much needed sigh of relief for Dave Challinor and his side last weekend, as County chalk up their second win of the new season.
The Gaffer will know he’s not entirely off the hook just yet but sitting in 17th place and just four points away from the play-offs, a sense of calm absent from recent weeks is starting to wash over Stockport.
That’s thanks in no small part to loanee Louie Barry, who’s been a revelation since properly kicking into gear for the Hatters.
The 20-year-old managed a combined three goals in 43 matches in loan spells for this weekend’s opponent, MK Dons, and latterly Salford City. This season, he’s managed four in seven games, scoring in each of his last four league outings.
If he can maintain those numbers, it’s unlikely he’ll be sticking around this end of the Football League for too long. They say never fall in-love with loan players, but let’s make the most of him whilst he’s still here.
Team News
The treatment room at Carrington is still full with players nursing injuries of various severity, with all areas of the pitch beset with problems.
What had started out looking like an over-subscription of wing-backs in the side has been whittled down to Challinor being forced to adapt to a back four to compensate for absentees, not helped by Ibou Touray being away on international duty.
Touray will be back from his time with Gambia, where he played a full 90 minutes at left-back against Congo in the Africa Cup of Nations qualification rounds.
That occurred last Sunday, so barring any training set-backs, the defender should be back in the side this weekend and Challinor may look to revert to his favoured back three setup.
It may fall to Touray to move over to that left-back role he played for Gambia last week, as in this week’s preview Challinor confirmed that Ryan Rydel has ruptured his cruciate ligament and will be sidelined for the rest of the season.
However, just in time, the Gaffer reports that Myles Hippolyte is back on the training pitch and doesn’t seem too far away from a return to the first-team. Able to play a range of positions, Hippolyte has spent a good deal of time playing the left wing-back role so should be able to slot right in.
Similar goes for Kyle Knoyle, first feared to be a serious injury, could be returning to action sooner than first anticipated, which would mark a return within the next few weeks.
Paddy Madden had to rush back home the evening before the Wimbledon game due to a family emergency. For the sake of the Madden family it’s hoped that this is now resolved but any ongoing situation will rightly take precedent over his presence in the side. The Irish forward has been pictured in training this week.
Opposition Watch
Relegated from League One last season, picking up four wins in their first five outings in League Two has been a significant factor in their current fourth place position in the table going into this weekend’s game.
However, form has dipped slightly over the past couple of weeks, with MK going one up in their last two games against Notts County and Crewe Alexandra, only to let their opposition back in and end up taking a draw and a loss respectively.
MK Dons have suffered with fitness issues of their own, with manager Graham Alexander confirming that attacking duo Mo Eisa and Jonathan Leko have missed minutes in the previous couple of weeks due to minor fitness problems.
They were both crucial to MK Dons fruitful start to life in League Two and both know where the net is, with Eisa on four goals and Leko on three goals already this season.
A flurry of activity around transfer deadline day has also left Alexander with more freedom in the team he chooses as Jack Payne (midfielder), Anthony Stewart (defender), Ellis Harrison (forward), Joe Tomlinson (defender) and Michael Kelly (goalkeeper) have now, for the most part, had a couple of weeks to settle in and get up to speed at their new club.
The diverse set of signings during that final week of the window has given MK Dons greater depth in all areas of the pitch, which will do no favours for a depleted Stockport County side.
MK Dons set up in a similar fashion to County’s usual three at the back with wing-backs pushing forward into a packed midfield, meaning that it’s the centre of the park where the battle is likely to be won and lost on Saturday.
Having tasted the victory of the forced back four last time out, Challinor will now have a decision to make whether to mirror our oppositions setup or try to push an extra midfielder on to the pitch and make do with a flatter back four.
Predicted XI
For the FanHub lovers amongst us:
What do you think? Have your say in the comments below or via Twitter.
Who’s The Ref?
Taking charge this weekend at Stadium MK is referee Ed Duckworth.
He spent the majority of last season refereeing in the National League before being promoted to League Two this season. This will be his first time refereeing County.
So far this season Duckworth has issued 32 yellow cards and one red card in five games.
Assisting Duckworth on the day will be linesmen Adam Ricketts and Christopher Ward. The fourth official will be Anthony Da Costa.
Thanks for taking the time to read today’s Pocket Preview. The next instalment ahead of the Wrexham game will land on Friday, Sep 22.
Subscribe to The Stopfordian Sport below, it’s completely free and will mean the next Pocket Preview arrives in your inbox the moment it’s released.