Former boss Tisdale predicted Dons would be a play-off team within two seasons

Paul Tisdale believes MK Dons will be a strong contender in League One next season.

After leading the club to promotion in his first season at Stadium MK, Tisdale was sacked by the club in November after a run of 10 games without a win, seeing Dons drop into the relegation zone.

Heading into the new campaign, Tisdale felt Dons were two seasons from becoming a serious contender in the division, but was left to lament injuries to Sam Nombe, Joe Mason and Rhys Healey which greatly contributed to his side's capitulation prior to his sacking.

Speaking on the EFL Podcast, Tisdale said had the injuries not struck all at once, Dons would be well-placed to mount a challenge next season.

"I believe we would have been promoted, or at least a play-off team within two seasons," he explained. "It's no surprise to see Rhys Healey scoring goals now he's fit. I still think they'll do very, very well. They'll come strong next year – I'm convinced of it.

"I still had another year to sift through the squad and get better value for money. When you get promoted, you've got two choices – you either believe in the players and give them new contracts, or you say we have a bit of a free-for-all in the summer and see what happens. I went with the former. I signed the players half-way through last year, so when it came to the summer, I signed a few squad players and thought I had two years to be a play-off team.

"I had not anticipated the injury crisis I had for 10 games in the striking positions. The strikers are the engine of the train. You can play the best football, unless you've got to have something at the end of it, and I didn't have that. I convinced the chairman to part with some cash - a considerable amount – for Rhys Healey, and I think he only played a couple of games for me. It was a real kick in the teeth.

"I signed Joe Mason, and he got injured a week before the season started. I resisted the temptation to sign a striker in August because I wanted to promote from within, and Sam Nombe was a revelation for a month before he got injured. From October, I was functioning without three main strikers in the team.

"To me, it was a holding pattern, getting through it. I felt very little dissent in the dressing room, and the players were playing so hard right to the end. They gave me everything."