Shrewsbury v MK Dons: Meadow men looking for more home comforts

Salop have been in good form on home turf of late after wins against Exeter City and Burton Albion.

Steve Cotterill is sweating on the fitness of goalkeeper Marko Marosi after the he cut his hand and dislocated a finger against Burton.

The injury forced the shot-stopper to miss Salop’s defeat on the road at Cheltenham last weekend, with Harry Burgoyne coming in as his replacement and making his first league appearance of the season.

Marosi has made some good saves on occasions this season, so Town will miss his presence in between the posts if he does not make it.

A big decision for the boss is who fills the void left by George Nurse.

It was announced before the game last weekend that Nurse had ruptured his ACL – and would miss the rest of the season – a massive blow for Cotterill and his team.

Nurse has been impressive this season both defensively and going forward.

Jordan Shipley played there against Carlisle United earlier in the campaign and Elliot Bennett, who has only recently returned from minor ankle surgery, has played there for Blackburn Rovers in the past.

The boss could put Luke Leahy there, but the skipper has been good in central midfield, and it may do more harm than good.

It was a bad result for Town at Cheltenham, but the performance was perhaps even more disappointing for Cotterill.

He said his side did not do the basics well enough and they are looking forward to getting the game out of their system this weekend.

With no midweek fixture, they will have had a good week to prepare for the visit of MK Dons and will hope for a much-improved performance and result. The visitors on the hand, sit 20th in the League One table, just above the relegation zone, and they will be looking to bounce back from their 3-2 defeat at home to Peterborough last time out.

The Dons’ form on the road has been better than it has at Stadium MK.

Two of their three league wins have been on their travels this season, so Salop will need to be wary of their threat.

Former Wigan and Sunderland striker Will Grigg is the team’s top scorer, with three goals in his eight appearances.

Town will also need to watch out for Josh McEachran, formerly of Chelsea, who signed for the Dons in 2021.

The left-footed midfielder has struggled with injuries throughout his career, but he has featured in the team of late which is a boost for the visitors.

MK Dons have been widely tipped to push for promotion this year, so Salop must not take this game lightly and will need to be at their best for the clash to get a result.