Practice game time helping McEachran edge closer to a Dons return

Josh McEachran’s road to recovery took another positive turn over the weekend as the midfielder played in a practice game with his MK Dons team-mates.

The 29-year-old has not been seen since he limped out of the first half of the opening game of the season away at Cambridge United in July.

His return though now looks imminent, with head coach Liam Manning saying the former Chelsea man has been taking part in full training with the squad and is close to a comeback for his side.

“We played a practice game on Saturday and Josh took part - he has been in full training for a period now, he just needs building up,” he said. “He is close, and in a good spot.”

Asked about McEachran’s return would bring, Manning added: “Not only the composure and calmness he has, but ultimately his quality. He is so key in build-up for us and how we play.

“His understanding and quality are so good, so having him back will be a huge boost for the group.”

Spending a week on the training ground is not something Dons have had the luxury of being able to do since that Cambridge game, with eight games played in August.

With Will Grigg still being nursed back to full health after his hamstring injury, and Rotherham loanee Josh Kayode joining the squad two weeks ago havimg missed a lot of pre-season too, Manning said a week without a game has been essential for so many reasons.

He said: “It takes time to develop relationships, and takes time to develop and understanding with the players around you.

“Having those in-house games has allowed players to get the physical work but also the understanding of how each other plays. It has been a really beneficial week for us.

“We had a week of training which, given the programme in August which made it more difficult, really hit home how little we've been able to do. We used it as an opportunity to get together as a group and find more consistency.”