Welcome to the Donny All Stars

We're at home for the fourth time in five years on Boxing Day which is a boost for the club's coffers given it usually brings with it one of the biggest attendances of the season, but on form presently there might be some who would prefer to see us playing an away game.

Junior Stanislas expected to return to the team

There is no doubt that 2011 has seen something of a reversal in results home and away. We've won no fewer than eleven games on the road yet, only eight times have we collected all three points at Turf Moor.

This is the first of two home games and everything has been positive coming out of Turf Moor this week. There seems to be a real determination to turn round those fortunes that would see us surely climb further up the table.

Unfortunately, three of the last four home games have ended in defeat with the hammering of Ipswich the one exception and Michael Duff said this week: "We need to give them (the home fans) something to shout about. At the minute it's the minority who are seeing our best performances.

"Hopefully the fans will get behind us. They can see that we are on a little bit of a run at the moment. We are doing well away from home but we need to start backing that up.

"We need to put performances and points here together with the away performances, otherwise the away performances mean nothing."

Doncaster have proved tough to beat for Burnley since they were promoted in 2008. Of the four games played since, the two home games have ended in draws with two defeats at the Keepmoat and that means we have to go back to December 1991 for the last time we beat Doncaster Rovers. That day it was 2-1 with goals from Mike Conroy and Roger Eli.

Today, Howe will be looking to his strengthened strike force to fire. Last week he opted to play both Martin Paterson and Jay Rodriguez with Sam Vokes and Charlie Austin both being used from the bench.

I suspect we'll see at least one change today with the return of Junior Stanislas. I'm not sure it will be Dean Marney, who has been used from the start in both of the last two away games, who will step down and  I wouldn't be surprised to see Marvin Bartley on the bench.

We could line up: Lee Grant, Kieran Trippier, Michael Duff, David Edgar, Ben Mee, Ross Wallace, Dean Marney, Chris McCann, Junior Stanislas , Martin Paterson, Jay Rodriguez. Subs from: Jon Stewart, Andre Amougou, Brian Easton, Marvin Bartley, Keith Treacy, Sam Vokes, Charlie Austin.

Our Opponents - Doncaster Rovers

Just a few weeks ago we would have been expected a struggling Doncaster Rovers to arrive at Turf Moor under the charges of Sean O'Driscoll, but things have change dramatically with the introduction of Willie McKay, the agent, and new manager Dean Saunders.

McKay is the man responsible for bringing in new players and many established names are arriving on potentially short term deals when unable to get games elsewhere. Already players such as Chris Kirkland, Carl Ikeme, Pascal Chimbonda, Habib Beye, El Hadji Diof and Marc-Antoine Fortune

This week they clinched the signings of Damien Plessis, Mahamadou Bagayoko and Habib Bamogo who will all join them from January until the end of the season.

It's not a policy that will build a long term squad but is designed to give these players an opportunity to play some games whilst lifting Doncaster up the league ,and it's getting close to reaching stage one with them edging ever closer to getting out of the bottom three.

Today they expect to have both Chimbonda and Diof, who has just agreed a deal with them until the end of next season, back from injury but Fortune will be missing having been recalled by West Brom.

They boast recent wins against both Southampton and Leicester and last time out, for the win against Leicester, they lined up: Gary Woods, James O'Connor, Sam Hird, Habib Beye, Herita Ilinga, James Coppinger, Brian Stock, Simon Gillett, Giles Barnes, Marc-Antoine Fortune, Billy Sharp. Subs: Jonathan Maxted, George Friend, Kyle Bennett, Mustapha Dumbuya, James Hayter.

Last Time They Were Here

Burnley made it three draws out of three last season when Doncaster visited Turf Moor. We returned home after picking up away points at QPR and Norwich who ended the season in the top two places.

The QPR point was probably about the right result but once again at Norwich we'd seen the points lost right at the end with a controversial equaliser for the home side. Nevertheless it was a game we should have won.

Burnley's equaliser came from Jack Cork

Jack Cork returned from illness to replace Graham Alexander in the starting eleven whilst Martin Paterson was retained after his two goal return from injury at Norwich. Ahead of the game a minute's applause was held following the sad death of former manager John Benson.

We started well and had a chance in the first minute which Wade Elliott came close to converting. We should then have had a penalty for a clear handball by Wayne Thomas that was waved away. We were so much on top it was like one way traffic.

As so often happens in games like this we then found ourselves a goal down when John Oster set up James Hayter.

Again Doncaster handled the ball in the box. This time it was Dean Shiels and this time the referee saw it. Unfortunately Chris Eagles failed to convert with goalkeeper Neil Sullivan saving to his right.

Martin Paterson was withdrawn at half time with another injury and was replaced by Chris Iwelumo but the second half performance was poor.

Thankfully we did get an equaliser. Clarke Carlisle headed an Eagles corner goalwards but a defender kept it out only for Cork to head home the rebound.

It ended 1-1 and with even more bad news as Danny Fox also picked up an injury that would keep him out for a good number of games.

The teams were;

Burnley: Lee Grant, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Michael Duff, Danny Fox (Graham Alexander 74), Jack Cork, Wade Elliott, Dean Marney, Chris Eagles (Ross Wallace 89), Martin Paterson (Chris Iwelumo 45), Jay Rodriguez. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, David Edgar, Leon Cort, Steven Thompson.

Doncaster: Neil Sullivan, Mustapha Dumbuya, Shelton Martis, Wayne Thomas, James O'Connor, James Coppinger, Brian Stock (Sam Hird 90), Dean Shiels (Mark Wilson 66), John Oster, James Hayter, David Healy (Steve Brooker 89). Subs not used: Gary Woods, Byron Webster, Wayne Fairhurst.

Previous Games against Doncaster Rovers

Click HERE to see all previous results against Doncaster Rovers