Fitness and availability
The Greens come into Saturday’s game in 12th place, and bang in form after a 3-0 thrashing of Bury last week. It’ll be touch and go to see if Aaron Taylor-Sinclair is fit enough to return to his old club after a return to training this week, but Jamie Ness will certainly be unavailable. Finally, Argyle, rather sadly, will be without Toumani Diagouraga after his departure for Fleetwood last week. Other than that, Argyle maintain a healthy squad that will no doubt be looking to carry on their winning form and spring up the table even more.
Doncaster’s last defeat came on the road against Oxford back in early December and since then have been excellent in the league, like Argyle, sitting one place above them, joint on points. Donny’s start to football in 2018 hasn’t been one to sing and dance about yet, after a draw in the league and a loss in the FA Cup 3rd round, however Ferguson’s men will be more than capable of turning it around as they host Argyle on Saturday. They only lack long term absentee Danny Andrew who will be out till the summer.
Predicted line-ups
I fully expect Doncaster to return to the line-up that saw them comfortably see off Rochdale in their last league game, including former Argyle loanee Jordan Houghton who played ten times on loan during the tail end of the 2015/16 season.
(4-2-1-2 narrow) Lawlor; Mason, Baudry, Butler, Garratt; Houghton, Whiteman, Rowe, Coppinger; Marquis, May
With no Diagouraga, it will be interesting to see how Adams decides to set up away from home against Doncaster. One option includes dropping Carey deeper into the midfield three although Adams could also be tempted to push David Fox ten yards higher up and put Yann Songo’o back in his role of protecting the back four.
(4-3-3) Matthews; Threlkeld, Edwards, Bradley, Sawyer; Songo’o, Fox, Sarcevic; Carey, Taylor, Lameiras
Head-to-head
Argyle have won 12 times, drawn 13 times and lost 14 times against Doncaster.
Argyle have only lost three of the last 10 times they’ve played Doncaster.
In 1958, Doncaster entertained Argyle to a 10-goal thriller with which Argyle won 4-6.
Writer’s comments
Argyle have won the last two times they’ve been away to Doncaster but lost heavily to them earlier in the season at Home Park. I can see this being a tight affair but at least Argyle can finally say they’re being involved in a mid-table scrap again. I believe Argyle’s fantastic run of form of late can see them through this game ever so slightly though it really could go either way. 2-1 Argyle.