Doncaster Rovers Preview

The first mid-week league fixture of the season and a tricky trip to Doncaster Rovers and their spanking new Keepmoat Stadium. I've hardly had a chance to gather my thoughts from Saturday to be honest, but hopefully the players have and are focused on this game because we need some kind of result here to avoid looking down at the wrong end of the table. Most journalists have written us off for even a place in the play-offs now, so if we are to prove them wrong then we need to start picking up points in games such as this.

Doncaster, like fellow promoted side Swansea, have made a solid start to the season and are sitting one point ahead of the Addicks with wins over Derby and Coventry, and a very respectable 1-0 defeat to Birmingham at the weekend. Sean O'Driscoll seems to have got the measure of this division and I'm sure mid-week games at home are where they will be looking to pick up some crucial points this season.

In his interview after the Wolves game, Pardew recognised the superiority of the opposition but also expressed his disappointment to the players' reaction to the visitors' goal. Throwing away 1-0 leads in successive games is not clever and he'll certainly be looking for better tonight. I really do think that we need to establish a settled starting XI and to that end, whilst I don't agree with the selections he currently has, I would like to see him stick with the same side that turned out on Saturday. However, he said he has "some thinking to do" and I don't think he can resist the urge to make at least one change.

The most obvious candidate to drop to the bench would be Lloyd Sam who did not have a great game against Wolves and could easily make way for Darren Ambrose on the right. Elsewhere, I don't really think that Kelly Youga did enough on Saturday to show that the left back spot is his, so there is a chance Grant Basey could reclaim the spot. The one player I would like to see return, Zheng Zhi, has been ruled out with a bruised foot but I do think he should be restored to the side as soon as possible. Elsewhere, I'm not sure there is a great case for changing things around although Fortune certainly needs to have a decent game if he wants to retain his place, with Primus knocking at the door.

All things considered, I would expect the following team to start this evening: Weaver; Cranie, Hudson, Fortune, Youga; Ambrose, Bailey, Holland, Bouazza; Gray, Varney. Subs: Elliot, Primus, Basey, Sam, Dickson.

Pardew has often stressed that this side is 'still learning'. So, after two failed attempts, let's hope they've already learnt how to pick up points away from home.