ADAM Phillips and Mael de Gevigney will not play against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday but Barnsley boss Conor Hourihane hopes no one else is missing despite several players being absent from training due to an illness this week.

Midfielder Phillips hasn’t played since picking up an injury in the EFL Trophy game against Manchester United under 21s on October 21 while defender de Gevigney broke back into the team recently but missed Saturday’s FA Cup win over York.

Josh Earl missed the last two games with a back injury while his fellow centre-back Jack Shepherd came off with a knee problem against York.

Hourihane said: “Phillo won’t make the weekend, Mael won’t make the weekend.

“It’s a little bit too soon.

“We need a longer-term focus over rushing them back for this game.

“The rest are all fine.

“Josh is pretty much fine.

“Robbo (Marc Roberts) and Shep, off the back of the game the other day, are all fine.”

While left-back Nathanael Ogbeta has been back in training after being ill last week, up to four other players missed training this week while feeling unwell.

Hourihane said: “I think everyone will come through, barring it doesn’t spread any further.

“A couple of lads have not been in the building and we have to take the right protocols.

“Come Friday, the day before the game, I would like to think we’ll be at full strength.”

Meanwhile, forward Fabio Jalo is edging closer to a return.

The Portugal youth international – who is 20 later this month – has been out for seven months since injuring his knee against Peterborough, having finally broken into the Barnsley starting 11 under Hourihane.

The head coach told the Chronicle: “Fabio is doing OK.

“There is still a little bit of time to go on the grass.

“We’re trying to get him really, really fit to get him back with the group.

“It will definitely be after the international break, potentially four or five weeks until he’s in and around the group a little bit more.”