Crewe postponement could have advantages for Dons after latest call-up

Kaine Kesler-Hayden has been called up for England U20s. He joins Conor Coventry on international leave, but the game against Crewe has been postponed meaning he will miss minimal action for Dons

The postponement of next Saturday’s game with Crewe Alexandra is a bit of a gift and a curse for MK Dons, Liam Manning admitted.

International call-ups in the Alex squad forced the game to be shifted to a later date, meaning Dons will be given a watching brief while the majority of the division plays next weekend.

However, after Conor Coventry’s inclusion in the Republic of Ireland U21s squad, Kaine Kesler-Hayden was called up to England’s U20s to face Germany and Poland.

The postponement now means neither will miss any action for Manning’s side.

“It has pros and cons - when you're on a run it is nice to keep the games going,” he said. “It's a lot easier for carrying momentum, but it also offers the opportunity to give a few players a break.

“It has been a heavy period, an intense period of games since Christmas. It's a good opportunity to have a rest and get ready for the push towards the end of the season.”

On the international call-up for Kesler-Hayden, he added: “Kaine has done really well, he's made the step up since arriving. We saw him a lot in the fist half of the season at Swindon.

“It's a big compliment to the whole group to have players called up. It shows the club are doing a good job of laying a platform for the young international players to play at a high level.”