Doncaster v Shrewsbury: Town sweat on knocks as boss plots a reshuffle

The striker was forced off shortly into the second half at the DW Stadium on Wednesday night after hauling his side level before the break in a contest they went on to lose in stoppage time.

Bowman, whose close-range finish was a seventh goal of the season, is expected to have been at Town’s Sundorne training base yesterday with other injury victims, including defenders Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Aaron Pierre.

Summer recruit Bowman, 30, appeared to struggle after a collision and was replaced by Birmingham loanee Sam Cosgrove eight minutes into the second half. Cosgrove and fellow substitute Rekeil Pyke drew ire from Town fans for not sufficiently closing down Thelo Aasgaard for the Wigan man’s winner from distance.

Cotterill admitted afterwards he was disappointed by the impact of the subs, who need to do more. And said the players at fault for the winner know who they are.

Pyke was introduced midway through the second period for Town’s other attacking concern, teenager Tom Bloxham, who was struggling with a toe issue having had a nail removed earlier in the week was was in worsening pain, according to the manager.

Town will assess the duo before the trip to South Yorkshire in a pivotal contest at the wrong end of the third tier table.

Should Bowman’s problem keep him out for a sustained period then Cotterill may need to call on Cosgrove or Pyke to make a rare start in forward positions. Pyke, himself returning from a hamstring problem, recently started twice at right wing-back.

Or the manager may decide to shuffle his positions and move Udoh further forward from his attack midfield role and switch the midfield around.

Midfielder David Davis serves the final of his four-match ban at the Keepmoat Stadium, where Shrewsbury secured a superb 1-0 win almost a year under in the early days of Cotterill’s tenure.

It is unlikely captain Ebanks-Landell (hamstring) will return in time to feature.

Hosts Doncaster, meanwhile, are rooted to the foot of the table after a miserable campaign so far, in which they have won just three of 20 league games and sit six points from safety. Former Town midfielder Richie Wellens was sacked a week ago and former striker Gary McSheffrey, the ex-Coventry hitman who was Rovers’ under-18s boss, is in caretaker charge.

Doncaster have lost five on the spin in all competitions and not won in six.

“Obviously a big game, but a huge game and a not so huge game are still worth the same points, we’ll be going to get a win,” McSheffrey said. “It’s about getting them to believe in themselves again, trust each other and stay together.”