Doncaster Rovers were forced into a late change to their starting eleven in the clash at Southend United on Saturday.
Defender Craig Alcock was a late withdrawal having been named in the starting eleven meaning Matty Blair coming in as a late replacement.
Doncaster boss Darren Ferguson knew Alcock had been struggling with a groin injury ahead of the game but they wanted to see how the injury was during the warm-up.
‘We’ve had to change the team, the personnel, all the time because of injuries,” Ferguson told BBC Radio Sheffield. .
‘Again, we had to do it before the start of the game, at ten to three.
‘We had to change the team with Craig Alcock feeling his groin. Matty Blair came in and did tremendously well.
‘We knew the situation before. We knew on Thursday and Friday but he felt he’d be fine.
‘Spoke to him this morning and we wanted to see how it was.
‘To be fair, Blair warmed up with the starting team and Craig came in quite late to say he wasn’t right.
‘As a player, it’s difficult to do that but at least he was honest because if he’d played and done his groin he could have been out for a lot longer.”
Better injury news for Doncaster was the return of both Andy Williams and Issam Ben Khemis to the matchday squad following long-term injuries.
The pair were unused substitutes in the clash at Roots Hall.
Andy Butler, Andrew Boyle and Alfie Beestin are also all set to return before the end of the month with Doncaster facing a busy run in to the season.
Having already had to rearrange the clash with Bury for April following the postponement last weekend, the home clash against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday 24th March is a doubt due to international call-ups for the visitors.
Blackburn have already had two players called into a provisional Republic of Ireland squad and one more could see Blackburn request the game is postponed. Another rearranged game would mean Doncaster would face nine games in 37 days up to the final game of the season.
With Doncaster still not safe from relegation, the return of a host of injured players in April will be a massive boost for Ferguson.
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