The Dons will be looking to end the month of August in a positive manner when they entertain Birmingham City at stadiummk today.
Karl Robinson’s side have taken seven points from their opening four Sky Bet Championship fixtures, a tally which sees them lying fourth in the table heading into the final match before the first international break of the season.
If the men from MK1 were to pick up a victory this afternoon and move on to 10 points, they would equal the total they collected from the first five league games of last season.
The opposition
Birmingham have also made a solid start to the 2015/16 season and are unbeaten heading into today's clash at stadiummk.
The Blues saw off Reading on opening day and have followed that triumph up with two impressive draws against Burnley and Derby County – two teams that are many people’s favourites to be competing for promotion this season.
Gary Rowett’s men, currently ninth in the Championship table, have a game in hand on all-but one of the division’s sides because their recent scheduled trip to Brentford was postponed.
View from the dugouts
Karl Robinson: “Birmingham are an iconic name in English football. We've studied all their games from this season so we have an idea of what to expect from them. We've done an awful lot of work on them and looked at one or two individuals who we know are massive threats - we know how difficult our afternoon is going to be."
Gary Rowett: “They’ve started really well and any team that has just been promoted has that little bit of momentum. We know what they’ll try to do but knowing what the opposition is going to do is one thing, trying to stop it is another. We’ll go there hoping to put in another strong performance in.”
Team news
Robinson may have a few selection headaches after his much-changed Dons side impressed in the Capital One Cup victory over Cardiff City.
Matt Upson, Carl Baker and debutant Josh Murphy were among those who impressed but the likes of Antony Kay, Rob Hall and Dean Bowditch, as well as Dean Lewington and Darren Potter, will be expecting recalls to the starting XI after being rested.
Joe Walsh (knee) and Ben Reeves (hamstring) are both sidelined.
Birmingham, meanwhile, have no fresh injury concerns but boss Rowett is more than likely to opt for the starting XI that drew Derby, rather than the side that played in midweek against Gillingham.
Betting
Sky Bet
Result:
Dons to win – 5/4
Draw – 5/2
Birmingham to win – 21/10
First goalscorer:
Dean Bowditch – 6/1
Clayton Donaldson – 6/1
Jon Toral – 15/2
Carl Baker – 8/1
Wes Thomas – 8/1
Samir Carruthers – 12/1
Scorecast:
Dean Bowditch to score first and MK Dons to win 2-0 – 40/1
*All odds correct at the time of writing
Click here for odds on all Sky Bet Championship outright markets - don't forget the Dons benefit every time you win with Sky Bet!
Tickets for today's fixture with Birmingham are available to buy right up until kick-off, priced from £25 for adults, £17 for over-65s and under-21s and £7 for under-18s while under-12s can go FREE with a Young Dons membership*
*Under-12s go FREE when an accompanied by an adult and with a Young Dons Membership (maximum of two free U12s per adult) To purchase tickets click here, visit the Box Office at stadiummk/kiosk at thecentre:mk or call 0333 200 5343.
If the men from MK1 were to pick up a victory this afternoon and move on to 10 points, they would equal the total they collected from the first five league games of last season.
The opposition
Birmingham have also made a solid start to the 2015/16 season and are unbeaten heading into today's clash at stadiummk.
The Blues saw off Reading on opening day and have followed that triumph up with two impressive draws against Burnley and Derby County – two teams that are many people’s favourites to be competing for promotion this season.
Gary Rowett’s men, currently ninth in the Championship table, have a game in hand on all-but one of the division’s sides because their recent scheduled trip to Brentford was postponed.
View from the dugouts
Karl Robinson: “Birmingham are an iconic name in English football. We've studied all their games from this season so we have an idea of what to expect from them. We've done an awful lot of work on them and looked at one or two individuals who we know are massive threats - we know how difficult our afternoon is going to be."
Gary Rowett: “They’ve started really well and any team that has just been promoted has that little bit of momentum. We know what they’ll try to do but knowing what the opposition is going to do is one thing, trying to stop it is another. We’ll go there hoping to put in another strong performance in.”
Team news
Robinson may have a few selection headaches after his much-changed Dons side impressed in the Capital One Cup victory over Cardiff City.
Matt Upson, Carl Baker and debutant Josh Murphy were among those who impressed but the likes of Antony Kay, Rob Hall and Dean Bowditch, as well as Dean Lewington and Darren Potter, will be expecting recalls to the starting XI after being rested.
Joe Walsh (knee) and Ben Reeves (hamstring) are both sidelined.
Birmingham, meanwhile, have no fresh injury concerns but boss Rowett is more than likely to opt for the starting XI that drew Derby, rather than the side that played in midweek against Gillingham.
Betting
Sky Bet
Result:
Dons to win – 5/4
Draw – 5/2
Birmingham to win – 21/10
First goalscorer:
Dean Bowditch – 6/1
Clayton Donaldson – 6/1
Jon Toral – 15/2
Carl Baker – 8/1
Wes Thomas – 8/1
Samir Carruthers – 12/1
Scorecast:
Dean Bowditch to score first and MK Dons to win 2-0 – 40/1
*All odds correct at the time of writing
Click here for odds on all Sky Bet Championship outright markets - don't forget the Dons benefit every time you win with Sky Bet!
Tickets for today's fixture with Birmingham are available to buy right up until kick-off, priced from £25 for adults, £17 for over-65s and under-21s and £7 for under-18s while under-12s can go FREE with a Young Dons membership*
*Under-12s go FREE when an accompanied by an adult and with a Young Dons Membership (maximum of two free U12s per adult) To purchase tickets click here, visit the Box Office at stadiummk/kiosk at thecentre:mk or call 0333 200 5343.
