AFC Wimbledon vs Doncaster Rovers - prediction, team news, lineups

Still in search of a first win of the League One season, Doncaster Rovers will make the trip to the Cherry Red Records Stadium to take on AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.

The visitors sit 22nd having managed just three points from their first five games, while their hosts moved onto seven with a win on Monday.

AFC Wimbledon return to League One action on Saturday in search of back-to-back wins to continue a positive start to their second straight League One season.

Following an 19th-placed finish last time around, in which they eventually finished four points clear of relegation, Johnnie Jackson's side did take a while to get out of the blocks, managing one draw and one defeat in their first two league outings alongside a pair of cup defeats.

The Dons have since won two of their last three outings, though, firstly beating Wigan Athletic on home turf only to visit Burton Albion and suffer a 4-1 beating despite taking a first-half lead through Jayden Stockley.

A trip to Bromley to round off the League One weekend followed on Monday, and Jackson's men bounced back in impressive fashion, winning 2-0 with Stockley again on the scoresheet early on before Myles Hippolyte added a second after the hour mark.

AFC Wimbledon will now bid to build on that comfortable away win on Saturday and make it back-to-back victories for the first time this season to move onto 10 points from six outings.

Their visitors, meanwhile, make the trip south in need of a first win of the season after a slow start.

Also in their second consecutive League One season following promotion from the fourth tier, on the back of a 14th-placed finish last time around, Doncaster Rovers are yet to find their groove this term, with their only victory coming in their EFL Cup opener in a penalty shootout.

The South Yorkshire outfit's five league games have produced just three points courtesy of consecutive draws with Barnsley, Stevenage and Notts County, either side of an EFL Cup defeat to Middlesbrough.

Grant McCann's men then welcomed Plymouth Argyle to Club Doncaster Sports Village on Saturday and failed to continue an unbeaten streak, succumbing to a 3-2 defeat having fallen a goal behind and levelled through Alfie May before Aribim Pepple and Caleb Watts put their visitors two ahead and Sean Grehan's goal came too late to spark a comeback.

Now also on the back of a 3-1 home loss to Huddersfield Town in the EFL Trophy, taking a winless run to seven games in all competitions at this early stage of the term with pressure likely growing, Doncaster Rovers will now be desperate to stop the rot and put a first three-point haul on the board at the weekend.

Doncaster Rovers form (all competitions):

AFC Wimbledon are still unable to call on attacker Harry Cornick, who is yet to feature since his summer arrival.

Key man Marcus Browne will also likely miss out again, having not made their last four games after netting 12 goals last season, while winger James Tilley is a fresh concern having been forced off in the first half last time out.

Stockley will lead the line with confidence having scored in consecutive matches, with Hippolyte in support, while 19-year-old Ollie Harrison was given the nod in midfield in Monday's win alongside mainstay Alistair Smith.

Doncaster Rovers summer signing James Collins is also yet to feature through injury and remains sidelined alongside Tom Nixon and Francis Okoronkwo.

Defender Jamie Sterry has also been out of action in recent weeks, meaning McCann should go back to the back four of Sean Grehan, Neill Byrne, Jay McGrath and Joel Senior from last weekend despite the 3-1 loss.

After sitting out the midweek EFL Trophy tie, May will return to lead the line, having netted his first League One goal of the season last time out, with Brandon Hanlan, Isaac Hutchinson, Tommi O'Reilly, Leon Ayinde and Harry Clifton all competing to feature in support, while Owen Bailey offers further support from midfield after notching up 13 league goals last time around.

Bursik; Ogundere, Sweeney, Johnson; Sessegnon, Smith, Harrison, Seddon; Sasu, Stockley, Hippolyte

Doncaster Rovers possible starting lineup:

Simkin; Grehan, Byrne, McGrath, Senior; Bailey, Gotts; O'Reilly, Hutchinson, Hanlan; May

While AFC Wimbledon are yet to show any real consistency this season, they will have confidence from a convincing away win on Monday and meet a Doncaster Rovers side who are already in the midst of a slump, and we back the Dons to get over the line on home turf.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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