“He understands…” – Doncaster manager explains brutal decision involving Man Utd loanee Ethan Ennis

Manchester United loanee Ethan Ennis was substituted during Doncaster Rovers’ victory over Accrington Stanley despite coming off the bench in the second half.

Ethan Ennis joined Doncaster Rovers on loan during the January transfer window to gain his first experience in professional football.

The young Manchester United forward had impressed for the club’s Under-21s in the first half of the season after overcoming a lengthy injury layoff.

He made his Doncaster debut in the FA Cup third round, coming off the bench in a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Championship side Hull City.

Since then, the 20-year-old has accumulated eight appearances for the League Two club, starting in four of those matches, including an FA Cup clash against Crystal Palace.

Ennis brutally subbed off in Doncaster win

Ennis was absent from the Rovers’ clash against Grimsby Town earlier this month after receiving a nasty tackle against Palace in the previous game.

He returned to the bench last weekend in a 1-0 win over Morecambe but was an unused substitute in the game.

The United loanee made his return to the pitch on Saturday afternoon, coming on as a second half substitute against Accrington Stanley.

However, Ennis was then replaced in the closing stages of the game after Doncaster were shown a red card. He made way for veteran centre-back Richard Wood.

It is never a good feeling for a substitute to then be replaced after coming on, even in those kind of circumstances.

McCann explains Ennis substitution

Doncaster boss Grant McCann reflected on the game after full-time and explained that Ennis understood why he needed to come back off after the red card.

“It was backs against the wall for a little bit towards the end and they were flinging balls in [to the box], adding centre-backs to the forward line,” McCann said.

“So it was just an ideal opportunity to get Woody on for the last couple of minutes.

“It was harsh on Ethan, but he understands. He’s just come on, we go down to 10 men – an attacking player off and a defensive player on just to see the game out.”

While it certainly isn’t ideal for Ennis, it shows the competitive nature of the team he has joined, with Rovers battling for promotion to League One.

They are currently second in the league but just one point above Wimbledon, Notts County and Bradford in third, fourth and fifth-place respectively.

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Fighting for every point like your life depends on it – that is the exact kind of culture that United wanted Ennis to be part of when they sent him on loan.

The 20-year-old will be hoping to bounce back soon, with a game against Newport County next weekend.

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