John Sheridan insisted Jerry Yates was fit to play at MK Dons despite the loan man limping off after just 11 minutes.

It was the second successive game Yates had been forced off early.

United’s manager said the Rotherham man had trained the previous day without any problems. He then “aggravated” the hip problem, first suffered at Lincoln, in the early stages at Stadium MK.

Sheridan said: “It’s only a dead leg injury, but it’s on his hip and he’s a bit tender and sore.

“He possibly needed another two days but he trained Friday, and said he was ok.

“He was trying to go flat out and he’s just felt it again.”

Sheridan also said he had brought on fit-again Tom Parkes – who replaced Yates – sooner than he would have preferred.

“He’s trained hard to get back to fitness but playing a game’s totally different,” the United boss said of the defender.

“He needs a couple more days’ training and a couple more games.”

On two other key men who returned to the squad, the manager added: “[Jamie] Devitt only joined in training on Friday and [Danny] Grainger on Thursday, but they’re not match-tempo and ready.”