For Doncaster Rovers striker Paul Heffernan, this season has been a tough one. Big things were expected of the Irishman, who finished last season as Rovers top goal-scorer with 21 goals.

However, this term has seen Heffernan blighted by injuries, with the player now keen to get back into the mix.

"Obviously, it's been a very frustrating season for me - with the amount of injuries I have picked up," Heffernan told Rovers World.

"I've been training in the last few weeks and I have been getting on in games, so I think that my fitness is coming along. Touch wood, that will be the end of the injuries for me for the rest of the year.

"I've never had a season where injuries have played as big a part as they have done this season. I've picked up injuries before at other clubs and even while I've been at Doncaster. But this season has been the worst of my career so far. Hopefully I am over them now."

"My personal aim is to get myself back into the starting eleven and maintain that, really. To do that, you need to impress in training every day; impress for the last ten minutes that you are coming on in games and I do get back into the team and bag a few goals then I would have accomplished my own personal aim - but the overall aim for everybody here is to get promotion."

This weekend sees the Rovers travel to Cumbria to take on fellow promotion contenders Carlisle United at Brunton Park.

"The lads beat them 1-0 earlier on in the year at our place - it was a tight game, a very tough game. Their home record is very, very good; they don't lose many at home. As was it down at our place, it's going to be a very tough game. We'll go to their place and set out our stall and hopefully get the three points."