MK Dons v Coventry preview

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Dele Alli looks likely to miss out when the Dons host Coventry but new loan signing Dale Jennings will be added to the squad.

Ali was forced off during Tuesday night’s defeat to Colchester and the young midfielder will join David Martin (calf), Luke Chadwick (foot), Dean Bowditch (hip) and Antony Kay (hip) on the sidelines.

Former Tranmere and Bayern Munich winger Jennings made the move to Milton Keynes from Barnsley on Thursday on a loan deal until January and the 20-year-old is expected to make his debut on Saturday.

Karl Robinson may look to make changes after his side’s lacklustre performance at the Weston Homes Community Stadium. Jason Banton, Daniel Powell, who came on as substitutes in midweek, Samir Carruthers and Alan Smith are options for the Dons boss.

New arrivals Chris Dagnall, Dan Seaborne and Chris Maguire, meanwhile, are all in line for their debuts as Coventry aim to get back to winning ways at MK Dons.

Striker Dagnall, centre-back Seaborne and forward Maguire arrived on loan on Thursday and could make their bows for City, whose play-off aspirations have been dented by heavy back-to-back defeats.

Influential striker Leon Clarke continues to be sidelined having missed Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat to Rotherham with hip/thigh problems.

Midfielder Adam Barton is once more expected to miss out with a knee injury while defender Jordan Willis also remains absent with a knee complaint of his own, with the Sky Blues set to take close to 7,000 fans to stadium:mk.

MK Dons v Coventry preview

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Manager Karl Robinson will make changes after MK Dons lost ground in the promotion race with a surprise home defeat to struggling Walsall on Boxing Day.

Robinson described his side’s defending as “shambolic” as the Saddlers recorded their first away victory for three months at stadium:mk, winning 4-2.

He said that Mathias Doumbe, Antony Kay, captain Dean Lewington and Adam Chicksen would not play together in defence again. But with Gary MacKenzie (hip) still out, Robinson does not have many options available.

Midfielders Stephen Gleeson (broken foot) and Luke Chadwick (knee ligament damage) are also out for several weeks, while on-loan Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford looks set to rejoin them on the sidelines.

Bamford returned from a hamstring injury as a half-time substitute against Walsall but a tackle by Saddlers skipper Andy Butler saw the teenager doubled-up in agony on the pitch, forcing him down the tunnel before the end of the game.

Robinson said: “I thought the tackle on him was bordering on assault. He kicked him, didn’t hit him then lashed out again. It looked like he tried to do him, tried to hurt him. I like firm, in-your-face tackles, but not when someone goes to hurt someone.

“To lose Patrick is a big thing for us. But when you add him to Gary MacKenzie, Stephen Gleeson and Luke Chadwick, we’re going to be depleted. At this level, it’s so hard to replace them.”

Charlie MacDonald and Alan Smith were joined on the bench against Walsall by 16-year-old Dele Ali, 19-year-old Zeli Ismail and Ibra Sekajja, 20, and Robinson may have to include more youngsters among his substitutes on Saturday against Coventry, who are unbeaten in nine matches in all competitions.

Coventry will be without leading scorer David McGoldrick for the penultimate game of his loan spell.

The striker, who has bagged 17 goals in 24 games since arriving from Nottingham Forest, picked up his fifth booking of the season having removed his shirt while celebrating his strike in the 3-1 win at Stevenage on Boxing Day and now serves an automatic one-match ban.

McGoldrick is due to return to the City Ground after the home clash against Shrewsbury on New Year’s Day, although Coventry are desperately trying to negotiate a deal for an extended stay, which appears unlikely at this stage.

On-loan midfielder James Bailey has already returned to parent club Derby, with the Boxing Day success at Broadhall Way his final match of a three-month loan. Sky Blues manager Mark Robins will also be trying to keep hold of his services on a longer deal when the January window opens.

Robins is not expected to have any new injury concerns for the trip to stadiummk.

Striker Leon Clarke joined Coventry on trial on Monday with a view to a permanent move next month but he has not yet signed and is therefore unavailable.