O'Driscoll- We dont want to get beaten mentality

Last updated : 26 February 2009 By Donnysteve
"James Coppinger will be fit", to boost Rovers' bid to bounce back to winning ways at home to Derby County tomorrow night.

Coppinger was stretchered off in the first half of Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Swansea - Rovers' first loss in nine league games - after collapsing in a heap while challenging for the ball and taking a blow to the head.

He was taken to hospital for a brain scan but was released in time to travel home with the rest of the team and has made a good recovery.

The 28-year-old visited a doctor yesterday with a view to returning to training today and O'Driscoll will have him available to face Derby.

Defensive kingpin Matt Mills missed the Swansea match with a knee problem but a precautionary scan proved negative and he could also be fit for tomorrow night.

O'Driscoll said everyone was disappointed about losing at Swansea but admitted: "They were better than us on the day and that's probably the first time I've said that this season."
The two teams are acknowledged to be the best footballing sides in the Championship but the Doncaster boss said: "They are a little further down the line than us but it gives us the motivation to improve and get better.
"Hopefully it's another experience we can learn from."

The Doncaster boss added: "We try to look for the positives all the time and although we felt we didn't do ourselves justice Swansea were saying that we were the best team to have played there this season and that we had given them more problems than anyone else."

Rovers now have two vital games in which to bounce back when they chase a double against Derby before travelling to bottom club Charlton Athletic next Tuesday night.

Doncaster have kept eight clean sheets in their last 11 home games and O'Driscoll said: "Every game is important for us in this league.

"We will be going into both of them with a 'we don't want to be beaten mentality' and we know that if we can get enough possession we have players with tremendous ability on the ball.

"In fact if we get enough possession I would back us against anybody."