Healey and Gilbey are missing their MK Dons team-mates

It has been nearly two months since the MK Dons players trained together, and both Alex Gilbey and Rhys Healey admit they are missing their team-mates.

The players were last together on Friday March 12 on the eve of their game with Oxford United before football was postponed. Since then, Russell Martin's men have been in lockdown, with the rest of the country joining them a week later.

"We all miss each other I think," said Healey, Dons' top scorer this season. "There are always times when you get annoyed with your team-mates but I think we all just want to get back to normal again, see all your mates, have breakfast together and go and train and play football again.

"We've been having Zoom meetings with the lads and Russ so it keeps us all together, we have WhatsApp groups, but it's good to see each other's faces."

Gilbey added: "I really miss the lads to be honest. When the end of the season comes around, you don't miss them because you're usually pretty sick of the sight of everyone! But because we've been cut short, I've really missed everyone, the banter and the jokes we have together."

Both Gilbey and Healey, along with the rest of the team, are given their fitness regimes to carry out but both admitted there is little they can do to replicate playing football.

Healey said: "I've been in a good routine, knowing I have to get up, going out between 11am and 1pm for my exercise and walking the dog so it breaks the day up a bit. Then I sit down in the evening and plan what to do the following day, what will keep me entertained!

"Football is a team game, so it's hard to replicate that when we're out exercising, running or going through the fitness plans we're given. We can't just go to a field and kick a ball about, so I've just been kicking it against the fence.

"All of us grew up just wanting to play football. It's all we've known and we're all chomping at the bit to get back playing again. But that's not what is important at the moment, it's about managing the situation first, and making sure it is safe for us all to come back and get back to playing again."

And Gilbey echoed: "It has been the running and fitness programmes which have been keeping me sane to be honest. I've been reading a lot of books as well – I've always been into reading, but now I've got a bit more time. I've read the 5am Club by Robin Sharma but I Don't think I'll be getting up at 5am any time soon!

"And I really have missed playing football. I think we all just need an end in sight soon."