"I know eight of them": Warne on knowing his best MK Dons side ahead of Accrington clash
The MK Dons head coach spoke ahead of Saturday’s game with Accrington Stanley
Paul Warne thinks eight of his squad pick themselves when it comes to his best MK Dons line-up.
The brunt of his teams thus far have had a familiar feel to them, with a back-four, a three-man midfield and a three-pronged attack.
While everyone will have an opinion on who Dons’ best players are, Warne believes a ‘best XI’ may depend on who they face on a week-to-week basis, but ultimately, most of the first-choice will always be the same.
“I think I would know eight of them,” he said when asked if he had a best XI. “It would possibly depend on who we’re playing, you might need a little more muscle in certain games, but I think I would have a rough idea.
“The sad thing as a manager is that you have to disconnect injured players from your mind. Jack Sanders was a really good performer for us, but I have to remove him from my thought process because I can’t use him for six weeks.
“I have a rough idea of how I want the team to look, but we’ve been really unfortunate with our injuries.”
Taking on Accrington Stanley on Saturday, Warne will be without several first-teamers still. Kane Wilson, Jack Sanders, Joe Tomlinson, Gethin Jones and potentially Scott Hogan are all set to miss out on the game.
John Doolan’s side head to Milton Keynes having picked up their first league win last time out, and while Dons are four without a victory in the league, Warne hopes his side can bounce back.
He said: “I know how well (Accrington) are coached, and I know how much they will like playing us. We have to be better than most to get wins at home.”