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" When you look at the Southampton game it shows we haven't got the resources that they do. When you look at Saints' bench and then see us bring on a 40-year-old (Alex Rae) - and he did well to be fair - it brought a little smile to my face. If we haven't got our big hitters then we do have to play our coach.
" But we've got to build and grow to a stage where we can be a club like Southampton and bring on players who can change the game. The reason we lost there was down to four of our mistakes. We need to brush ourselves down now and go to Carlisle who are going to Wembley, it'll be interesting, they'll be on a high we'll be on a down, we have to get ourselves ready for it.
" To be fair I can't ask any more from the team we've put out. When you lose your centre halves and forwards who have reached 27 goals it's going to be difficult. But as much as it's disappointing to lose I'm really proud of the lads. Sometimes you can go into the changing room and point the finger at people but I thought everybody was different class.
" We've got to fight for the play-offs now. There are three months left in the season and we have one aim left now. There's lots to fight for and we are going to give it all we have got. But in a week we've gone from 20 odd players in training to 16, and when you bring Alex Rae on it just shows you where we are. We had Tom Flanaghan on the bench too, so we are down to the bare bones. "
As Paul Ince has already alluded to MK Dons have numerous injury problems ahead of tomorrow's game, most of those coming in the middle of their defence. David McCracken (calf), Mathias Doumbe (hamstring), Sean O'Hanlon and Darren Powell (both knee) are all absent.
While right-back Danny Woodards, who has been filling in there recently, is struggling with a groin problem that forced him to go off at half-time in Tuesday night's defeat at Southampton, Woodards now facing a late fitness test tomorrow morning.
Versatile defender Jude Stirling is also nursing a groin injury but he was able to see out the full 90 minutes of that game and should be available for selection tomorrow. With all those injuries at the back Ince has attempted to plug the gap with the one month loan signing on Thursday of 20-year old Brighton centre-half James Tunnicliffe.
Another loan signing in Spurs winger Andros Townsend will return to the MK Dons squad tomorrow after being Johnstone's Paint cup-tied on Tuesday, Townsend having appeared for Leyton Orient earlier in the competition. Further upfront though and the Dons are definitely without top scorer Jermaine Easter who is seeing out the second game of a two match ban picked up for receiving ten yellow cards this season.
There are also doubts over striker Sam Baldock who is another Don to undergo a fitness test ahead of the game, Baldock currently struggling with a jarred knee. 40-year old coach Alex Rae was a used substitute at Southampton on Tuesday, and with the jump from five bench-warmers in the JPT to seven in the league, he will no doubt be a substitute again, along with a few Dons youngsters.
The referee for tomorrow's match is Eddie Ilderton from Newcastle, and he will be assisted down the lines by Mark Astley from Denton in Greater Manchester and Simon Clayton from Newton Aycliffe in County Durham. Meanwhile the fourth official is Tony Harrington from Hartlepool.