England relationship can help Tymon and Ugbo's partnership flourish

The 18-year-old defender, on loan from Stoke, played alongside Chelsea striker Ugbo for the successful young Lions squad who won the Toulon Tournament in the summer, and now rekindle their partnership at Stadium MK.

Along with Marcus Tavernier, who came on as a substitute at Boundary Park on Tuesday night, the three put a silver-lining on an otherwise grey cloud in the 1-0 defeat to Oldham but Tymon believes the knowing Ugbo’s game as he does can help Dons out of the relegation scrap.

He said: “We’ve got an England relationship - we’ve played with each other for about a year now, and I went away with Ike in the summer so we’ve got an understanding of where we are and where we want to be on the pitch, we know each other’s game. We link up well and hopefully we can do it again on Saturday.”

Dan Micciche’s recent formation change, pushing the full backs forward, has seen Tymon play a key role on the left flank, teeing up the opener, scored by Ugbo, last week against Portsmouth. And it’s a role the teen feels suits him perfectly.

He said: “I’ve played the wing-back role at Stoke and Hull, and I class myself as an attacking full back so it suits me ideally. I’m enjoying playing for this team and in that position.”

The defeat to Oldham on Tuesday, Dons’ fifth in a row, means they are now six points from League 1 safety. And although he is on loan from the Premier League and is unlikely to return next season, Tymon says he is just as dedicated to helping Dons out of their relegation scrap as anyone.

“I’m on loan here, but I’m here to help as best I can,” he said. “It’s not the best situation but we’ve got the players to get us out of it. We’re a good team, and I just think we need to keep believing to get us out the mess.

“The manager has been great so far, really positive. You’ve already seen different formations here, and we’re all desperate to get that first win, especially for him.

“The spirit is still high. When you find yourself in a relegation battle, the mood could be very low but I think this set of players and the staff are very positive. We go about our business well and they’re telling us to keep playing the way we’re playing.

“Hopefully in the next few weeks, our luck will change. Given our attitudes, I think it will change.”