Rosler expects Robinson to guide Charlton back to the Championship

Robinson already has promotion on his C.V having guided MK Dons to a second-placed finish and out of League One in the 2014-15 season.

But they returned to the third tier along with Charlton for the 2016-17 campaign.

Former Bamber Bridge player Robinson’s six year spell at the Dons ended just months into that term and he later replaced Russell Slade in the hot-seat at the Valley.

He took charge in November and Charlton finished the season in 13th place while Rosler’s Town ended up fourth in the table.

But Rosler has backed Charlton to make a charge for the second-tier after Robinson has been allowed to put his own stamp on the side this summer.

Speaking on the eve of tomorrow’s Highbury clash Rosler said: “Karl is a good man, I enjoy the games against each other, I like him as a person, I like speaking with him and I really respect his work.

“He is a forward thinking manager who likes to play the game in the right way.

“He has now shaped a team for his way of football, they have invested well in the summer, they have brought good players in and he will do a good job at Charlton.

“He is very ambitious, he had been in the Championship with MK Dons and he will want to go back there, he did not go to Charlton to be satisfied with League One football and that is what he is striving towards, to the Championship.

“I think Charlton Athletic are a big force to be reckoned with this season.

“Charlton have Premier League history, Karl is a very good manager, who has taken a team out of this division.

“He has not gone to Charlton to spend the next five years in League One.

“They have a very ambitious and a very good manager who is backed by the board.

“He put his signature on the squad when he reshuffled it in the summer look at the numbers in their squad compared to our numbers.

“I expect them to go up this season, the chairman expects them to go up this season. That is what they are aiming for.”

Fleetwood are hoping to return to winning ways at their home fortress as they lost their unbeaten home record with a 4-2 defeat to Southend last weekend.

They bounced back with a fine 3-0 away win at Bradford City and Rosler is expecting Robinson’s men to pose a similar threat to the Bantams.

But the former Manchester City man says his side proved on Tuesday night that they can be a match for anyone in the division - if they keep it simple.

He said: “Again we are playing against a very good footballing side like Bradford.

“We have shown that with the way we play and work with the quality that we have that we can beat those teams and that is obviously the aim.

“I think it will be very tough for us but we back ourselves at home and the players saw that when we simplified the game at Bradford that we can be a force to be reckoned with this season.”

Town have been boosted by the news that striker Conor McAleny is back training on the grass.

The 25-year-old forward picked up an ankle injury in the first half of Town’s second league game, the 1-0 win at Northampton.

McAleny made his comeback in the 4-1 defeat at Portsmouth but after playing the whole of the second half at Fratton Park he has missed the last two games due to a recurrence of the injury.

But Rosler says he is back on the grass with on-loan Bournemouth centre-half Baily Cargill also a doubt.

Though one man who is definitely back in contention is midfielder Aiden O’Neill who has served his suspension for a red card in the 4-2 loss to Southend and is set to return to the squad.

But Rosler says there is healthy competition after midfielders George Glendon and Kyle Dempsey returned to star in the 3-0 win at Bradford and with strikers Devante Cole, Jordy Hiwula and supersub Ash Hunter all netting at Valley Parade.

He said: “We did not get any new injuries on Tuesday.

“Conor has been on the grass today so that is a positive thing.

“Aiden O’Neill is back after suspension and it is getting better.

“We still miss McAleny, we still miss Cargill, O’Neill missed the last game and they are three big performers for us and they were not available at Bradford.

“The players who have got the shirt now they do everything they can to keep the shirt.

“That is healthy competition and that is what we want but in general we need to be sure that we are not having key players injured for long.

“This season Conor has only played 152 minutes in a possible nine league games.

“We need to keep him fit because he is an extremely good footballer.

“He was today on the grass that indicates he is not far off.”