Oster miss start of season?

[Norfolk N Chance]

MIDFIELDER Simon Gillet is set to feature in Doncaster Rovers second warm-up game at Quorn tomorrow.
The former Southampton man sat out the club's 2-0 win at Askern Villa last Wednesday.

\"I had only signed an hour or so before the game so it was too late for me to play,\" he told The Star.

His signing on a two-year contract had been widely expected but when he did finally put pen to paper it received little publicity.

\"The club had announced a much bigger signing earlier in the day (Billy Sharp) and I sort of slipped in under the radar, but I was happy with that,\" he said.

Rovers had initially tried to sign Gillett during the January transfer window after he had impressed during a loan spell during the first half of the season.

\"I wanted to be back here but there were a few complications,\" said Gillett.

\"It was a bit frustrating really but it is part and parcel of football. I am here now, which is the main thing.

\"I know the lads from the last time I was here on loan and I feel that I am almost back home.

\"They are a great bunch and that is part of the reason why I wanted to come back here.\"

Gillett is likely to play 45 minutes against the Northern Premier League Division One South team in tomorrow's game - which was originally scheduled to be played at Warwick University - at the Farley Way Stadium.

But fellow midfielders John Oster and Martin Woods are both set to miss out again, Oster, who missed the last couple of games last season after suffering a knee injury in the warm-up to the Scunthorpe game at the Keepmoat Stadium, did several days training last week but didn't feature in the game at Askern.

Rovers' medical department can find nothing obviously wrong with the knee. But, with Oster still not totally happy, the club have decided to pull him out of pre-season and are likely to book him in for an exploratory operation.

Though happy with his progress since his groin operation at the end of last season, Woods is currently flitting in and out of full training and is not being rushed back - though he expects to feature in some of the club's forthcoming friendly games.

Defender James Chambers (knee) will also sit out the game against Quorn, who played host to Crewe last night.

The Leicestershire club sold striker Luke Varney to the Railwaymen for £50,000 in 2003 and subsequently banked a £400,000 sell-on fee when he moved to Charlton in 2007

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Even if they book him in sharpish and nothing is found, he'll be pushing it to kick off the season.

I'm sure we'll do what we can to cope without him but for me, he's one midfielder who is positive at all times and gets us probing buzzing in midfield.

Even with Stock fit, he tends to orchestrate from deeper and play seems to slow down. May be my imagination but we may need to call upon Copps/Sheils/Woods to weave some magic more centrally.

Of course SOD may have a plan B with Mr Brooker stepping forward !!