Plymouth Argyle

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Wayne Rooney says he has upped the intensity of Plymouth Argyle's training ahead of the busy Christmas period.

The Pilgrims host Middlesbrough on Saturday having won just once in their last 11 games - including losing their last four games in succession.

It has left Argyle second-from-bottom of the Championship, although Rooney's side do have a game in hand on the teams around them.

"We've actually stepped the training up to train harder," Rooney told BBC Radio Devon.

"I feel it's really important from now until mid-January that we step the training up because that gives your body a resilience to try and prevent injuries.

"We're trying different things to make sure we get the players in the right condition to get through the next three weeks."

After Middlesbrough, Argyle travel to Coventry City on Boxing Day and Oxford United on 29 December.

They will host Bristol City on New Year's Day before a long trip to Stoke City three days later.

"I spoke to the players and I feel it's something we need to step up," added Rooney.

"Yesterday we trained a lot harder then we normally would on that day because this time next week we'll be playing a game.

"We have to get our players' bodies into a shape and routine that they're ready for that hit every three or four days going up towards mid-January really, to give them that almost mini pre-season to get them through to the end of the season."

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Muhamed Tijani is likely to be the first of Plymouth Argyle's four injured players to return to action, according to boss Wayne Rooney.

The Nigerian striker has featured just three times since his season-long loan move from Slavia Prague after tearing his hamstring at the start of October

But Rooney says Tijani could return by 'mid-January' if his rehabilitation goes to plan.

Meanwhile Ibrahim Cissoko is unlikely to feature until the rearranged visit of Oxford United at the end of January as he recovers from a hip injury.

"It's a long shot and it would certainly be from the bench if that is the case, but it'd be great to have him back around the squad," Rooney said of the Netherlands Under-21 player who has impressed at Home Park this season.

Fellow forward Morgan Whittaker is also due to return at some point towards the end of January from a foot injury, while club captain Joe Edwards is unlikely to feature until February after undergoing hamstring surgery.

Plymouth will seek to get back on track, and out of the Championship drop-zone, when Wayne Rooney welcomes former teammate Michael Carrick and Middlesbrough to Home Park.

Argyle are second bottom and a point from safety, albeit with a much more inferior goal difference on their rivals in the bottom three, while Boro are sixth and looking to close an eight-point gap to the automatic promotion places.

• Plymouth Argyle have lost three of their past nine league games against Middlesbrough (W2 D4), with this fixture last season finishing 3-3

• Middlesbrough are unbeaten across their past eight away league games against Plymouth Argyle (W4 D4), since a 1-0 loss back in October 1964

• Plymouth have lost each of their past four league games, conceding 14 goals in total during that time. Not since March 2021 have the Pilgrims endured a longer losing run in the same season (five games)

• Middlesbrough have scored 19 goals in total across their away games in the Championship so far this season – the most of any side in the competition

• Middlesbrough's Finn Azaz has recorded 14 goal contributions in the Championship this season (six goals, eight assists), with only Norwich's Borja Sainz managing more (15 goals, two assists)

• Azaz is one of only two players to record both at least five goals and assists in the competition, alongside Sheffield United's Gustavo Hamer

Sheffield United's progression to the top of the Championship earned Chris Wilder November's manager of the month award this week.

Plymouth head to Bramall Lane having shipped 10 goals in their past two road trips.

• Sheffield United are unbeaten in their past five league games against Plymouth Argyle (W4 D1), with this their first league meeting since a 4-3 win for the Blades in February 2010.

• Plymouth have lost 14 of their past 16 away league games against Sheffield United (W1 D1), conceding 2.2 goals per game on average in that run.

• Sheffield United have won each of their past eight games at Bramall Lane without conceding; the last side in the top four tiers to win nine such games in succession were Chelsea in November 2009 (the Blues won 10 straight 'to nil' across all competitions).

• Plymouth are winless in their past 12 away league games (D2 L10), and have conceded at least four goals in their past two matches on the road; the last Championship side to do so in three successive such games were Bolton Wanderers in February 2015.

• Among all Championship managers to have managed 50+ away games since 2004-05, Plymouth's Wayne Rooney has lost the highest percentage of those (38/57 – 67%), while he has the joint-lowest goals-per-game away from home, along with Paul Sturrock (0.67 goals per game).

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Plymouth Argyle boss Wayne Rooney says he is "under no illusions" about how tough his side's trip to Championship leaders Sheffield United will be on Saturday.

The Pilgrims go to Bramall Lane having won just one of their last 10 games and suffered three successive defeats - conceding 12 goals and scoring just two in the process.

By contrast, United, who have former Argyle goalkeeper Michael Cooper in their ranks, are unbeaten in their last nine games with seven wins in that time.

"They're a very efficient team - experience mixed with some really good young players and effective players," Rooney told BBC Radio Devon.

"We know it's going to be a tough game; they don't concede many goals, and normally when they get chances, they take them.

"We have to be resilient, and we have to be organised.

"I've spoken to the players at length about the communication, as I felt the two goals against Swansea were maybe a lack of communication.

"We're under no illusions that for us to get something out of the game on Saturday, everything has to go right for us."

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Wayne Rooney says he is weighing up his goalkeeping options after Conor Hazard's return to full fitness.

The Northern Ireland goalkeeper was on the bench for the Pilgrims' 2-1 loss at home to Swansea City on Tuesday, having missed three months after undergoing ankle surgery.

Dan Grimshaw has played every minute since, while short-term signing Marko Marosi has provided cover.

"He's [Marosi] been fantastic for the group. His attitude to training has been fantastic, and it was tough to leave him out on Tuesday," Rooney told BBC Radio Devon.

"He has been really good for us, for the group.

"But Conor's come back into the squad. It's a decision I have to make whether Conor plays or Grimmy plays.

"Grimmy obviously played the last game, and I don't think he did much wrong in the game if I'm honest, but it's good to have options."

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Plymouth Argyle head coach Wayne Rooney says the club could recall Saxon Earley from his season-long loan spell at Lincoln City if he does not get more game time.

The 22-year-old left-sided player has yet to make a league appearance for the Imps having suffered a back injury.

He has made one start and one substitute appearance in the EFL Trophy, with his last appearance being a 10-minute cameo off the bench when Lincoln beat non-league Chesham 4-0 in the FA Cup first round more than a month ago.

"We have to monitor it and see what options we have," Rooney said.

"If he's not playing it's something which we'd look at, of course it is," he added when asked about a recall.

"We'd bring him back and have a look at him if that's the case, and then from there make a decision whether he stays with us or we put him out on loan again.

"That's purely on where we feel he's at and where we are as a squad."

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Plymouth Argyle head coach Wayne Rooney says he and the club will benefit from Mike Phelan's experience.

The former assistant manager at Manchester United has been brought in at Argyle to work as Rooney's number two after Pete Shuttleworth left the club for personal reasons.

Rooney says it was his decision to try and get Phelan, who has also worked as manager at Hull City and had spells coaching at Blackpool and Norwich City.

Phelan coached Rooney during his time at Old Trafford and helped United to three Premier League titles, a Fifa Club World Cup, two League Cups, and two Champions League finals.

"He's got a massive amount of experience, he knows the game really well, he's managed at this level as well," Rooney told BBC Radio Devon.

"I think he'll bring great experience to us as a coaching staff.

"He's calm and calculated in how he works, which I know very well.

"He was my coach at Manchester United, so I know how he works really well and I think he'll fit in really well with the coaches we've already got."

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The postponement of their scheduled match with Oxford United on Saturday saw Plymouth slip into the Championship's relegation zone at the weekend.

With Mike Phelan joining Wayne Rooney's backroom staff, Argyle fans are hoping a change in fortunes might be just around corner and a six-game unbeaten run at Home Park is certainly something to build on.

Swansea have lost just one of their past five Championship away games and their away performances this season have them in the top 10 of the table.

• Plymouth Argyle have won just one of their past six league games against Swansea City (D1 L4), though that sole win came in their most recent match against the Swans in February earlier this year (1-0).

• Swansea City are unbeaten across their past three away league games against Plymouth Argyle (W2 D1), and could record four in a row against the Pilgrims for the first time since 1938.

• Swansea have won both of their past two midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games, last winning three in a row in November 2021.

• Plymouth boss Wayne Rooney has only won one of his four Championship meetings with Swansea (D1 L2), with that being his first with Derby in December 2020 (2-0).

• Plymouth's Andre Gray has scored five goals in his past six league appearances against Swansea City, the most recent of which came in May 2022 for QPR.