Sam Ricketts previews Town's Sky Bet League One clash with MK Dons.
Shrewsbury Town return to Sky Bet League One action this weekend as Salop welcome MK Dons to the Montgomery Waters Meadow.
Town will be looking for a return to winning ways with a result over the Dons after Town’s FA Cup exit at the hands of Liverpool.
Sam Ricketts is expecting a tough test from Russell Martin’s team but hopes the Shrews can secure all three points.
“We’ve had a couple of days to recover and get ready for MK Dons,” said Sam. “MK Dons are a team who have really picked up form recently. They have changed shape from earlier on in the season and are having some success.
“They try to play the ball out, similar principles to what we have faced before earlier on in the season. They have slightly different personnel. They recruited well but have similar principles of how they play.
“We don’t take too much notice of opposition league positions. Ultimately, it’s about how they are playing currently. They play with confidence, move the ball well and have picked up a couple of good wins.
“They beat Rochdale and got another good result after that. They are doing well and finding their feet. They will be obviously confident and have some good form. They come here as a side who are more on the up than not. They are where they are now because of their early season form, not so much how they are playing now.”
Sam feels Town’s FA Cup run was positive for the club and notes all Town’s focus will be back on league action.
“We have had such a busy period with the amount of games we have played, so we haven’t had too much training time so it’s more about recovery," said Sam. "We have tried to get some detail into the team before they play the game.
“We were going to get knocked out of the FA Cup at some point, we just wanted to keep going for as long as we could. We have created moments and memories that will last a lifetime. There are a lot of positives to take from the FA Cup run, but now its back to the league.
“Injury wise, Shaun Whalley, unfortunately, came off against Liverpool and he will be a doubt. There are no other fresh concerns. Ollie Norburn is improving and we will see how he is in the next few days.”