Rod McDonald has done a great job helping to steady the defence and has shown he deserves to start. He filled in at DCR when needed and did well, but he looks much more at ease playing in the middle. With the way he’s performing, it’s hard to imagine him being left out, and there’s no reason to change things while he’s in such good form. One of the positives is that Matty Platt’s injury doesn’t feel like such a big worry now. We can give him all the time he needs to recover properly without rushing him back. That’s important, because the last thing we’d want is to bring him in too soon and risk making things worse. McDonald’s strong form means we’re not under pressure to make changes, and that’s a big help. It also gives Martin Paterson a chance to look closely at how Platt might fit into the defence when he’s ready. There’s time now to make sure it’s the right move, rather than a quick fix.