MK Dons boss Karl Robinson spoke to his club's official website ahead of his side's League One clash against Carlisle at stadium:mk this evening, Robinson ruing the fixture list the Dons have been going through recently :
"We seem to be playing a lot of teams when they are in the middle of good runs. Wycombe on Saturday were in-form, and so were Yeovil recently. Carlisle have had two big lulls in their season with not many victories but also two fantastic runs. They have had an up and down season but when they have been good they have been very good and have had some great results on the road. They have got a lot of positives to take, but we have assessed their weaknesses, and now we just have to play our game and try to get the victory.
"We're in a good run of form ourselves but when know we could have done better in terms of results in our games against Chesterfield, Hartlepool, Yeovil and Wycombe. It's not been due to a lack of effort or the way we have played, we just haven't quite managed to get over the line in those games. In all of those games we should have won convincingly, but we didn't due to freak goals, or not taking chances.
"As a Club, we are not saying we don't know what we are doing or where we are going wrong, it's obvious. We know where we are at, we know where to strengthen, and the players know where we can improve. That is the uniqueness about this team, we make mistakes and we all learn together. But, I think finishing second now is a distant hope. We now have to cement our place in the play-offs and, if you can guarantee success, it's the way you want to go up - the glamourous way at Wembley in front of 60-70,000 fans. That’s our goal now. We’re picturing Wembley and picturing that final.
"I back my players to respond on Tuesday, I know we have got enough quality within the club to go and do it. So, the most important thing against Carlisle is to put on a performance for our fans. They were magnificent against Wycombe, as good as I have ever seen. I would like to thank them for their support and everything they have done through the season. The players and staff are doing all they can to support the fans' hopes and dreams and collectively everyone has the same goal."
In team news for the Dons this evening they will have two players absent who have both been sidelined for about three weeks now through injury, the pair being Gary MacKenzie and James Tavernier. Centre-half MacKenzie out of contention with a neck problem, while former Carlisle-loanee right-back Tavernier has only just returned to training at stadium:mk this week after having treatment for his knee injury at parent club Newcastle. Dons boss Karl Robinson though also revealing that a couple of his players are suffering from tiredness and soreness now they are reaching the end of their hectic March fixture schedule.
The referee for this evening's match is Mark Heywood from Northwich in Cheshire and he will be assisted down the lines by one man in Ryan Atkin from Sydenham Hill in south London and one woman in Slovakian native Alexandra Ihringova, who is now based in Telford, Shropshire. Meanwhile the fourth official is Richard Kendall from Luton.