Boss says Dons will give "absolutely everything" ahead of Bristol clash
is pushing for a recall at Bristol Rovers this Saturday after the influential midfielder came through a full week of training.Sammy Moore
said he had to be careful not to rush him back.Neal ArdleyLast season’s Wimbledon player of the year has missed the last three games due to illness and manager
However, Sammy is back in contention for Saturday’s important trip to the Memorial Stadium.
. “With that you lose fluids and if you bring players back too soon then you could have an injury on your hands. We have to make sure that we look after players because we have big games coming up. Sammy has trained all week now though and he is back in contention.”Dons Player“We have had to be careful with Sammy as he was off for seven or eight days with sickness and he lost quite a lot of weight,” Neal Ardley told
Victory against Bristol Rovers in the corresponding fixture provided Neal Ardley’s first win as Wimbledon manager when the Dons triumphed 3-1 in October. However, John Ward’s return as manager has since engineered a superb run that has lifted Rovers up to mid-table. Neal Ardley is under no illusions about the size of the task his side face on Saturday, but he maintains belief that Wimbledon can survive in League 2 this season.
“Bristol Rovers were at a low ebb and not playing well when we beat them then and they are a totally different team now,” Neal said. “If you look at the games we have left, Bristol are the form team that we have to play during our run-in. It will not be easy, but we cannot go there and be scared. We need to work incredibly hard as a team together, add a bit of quality, and hopefully get a bit of luck.
“We had a poor Easter in terms of picking up points, but we cannot be too despondent about it. What’s important is that we do not panic. If I look at the worst-case scenario of us losing the last six games, then the only way that will happen is if we panic as a team. If we stay strong, keep trying to do what we have during the past three months, and work hard for each other, then I cannot see us not doing it.
“It is an incentive for everybody (to stay up). Everyone at AFC Wimbledon works incredibly hard and they are passionate about this club. We are all proud people and we will give absolutely everything during the last month of this season.”
Dons Player subscribers can now watch a full video interview with Neal Ardley on our premium site and we will tomorrow feature the thoughts of Alan Bennett on Saturday’s Bristol challenge.