Stop-start schedule 'has not been ideal' for developing MK Dons

After nearly three weeks without a game in League Two, MK Dons duo Mike Williamson and Craig MacGillivray said they are desperate to get back on the pitch again on Saturday.

It has been seven weeks since Dons last played a 3pm game on a Saturday at Stadium MK - October 28 and the 3-2 win over Swindon Town - and they have only once kicked off at that time in the last month, with international duty, FA Cup and waterlogged pitches leaving the players with a watching brief over the last few weeks.

The stop-start nature of November and early December has given Williamson and his side valuable time on the training ground, but with the visit of Forest Green Rovers to MK1 on Saturday, keeper MacGillivray said he just wants to get back to playing regularly again.

"It has been a long time since we've played here and particularly on a Saturday, so we want to give ourselves the best chance of picking up three points and putting in a performance for the fans," he said.

"It feels weird, at this time of year you're building to nearly having games every other day, so to be without a game hasn't been ideal but it's given us time to get on the training pitch and work on things which have needed improving.

"But we've had a couple of weeks without a game, so we're chomping at the bit to get going and we have to make sure we're at it. "

Williamson added: "We go through those periods, and then I'm sure we'll get games thick and fast in the New Year. That's the nature of football, but we're looking forward to that now, getting some consistent routine and structure.

"We go into every game thinking we can win it and improve the way we want to play."