MK Dons rest players after the 6–1 win as Warne promises a strong FA Cup side against Swindon
Wednesday 4 November 2026 · By Douglas Haverthwaite
MK Dons have not played since Saturday’s 6–1 home win over Doncaster Rovers, in which Collins scored four goals, and they now turn to the FA Cup. The BBC table, last updated at 09:22 GMT on Wednesday, has Paul Warne’s side 12th on 18 points from 13 games, four points outside the play-off places. League One’s top two go up automatically and third to sixth go into the play-offs.
MK Dons dropped one place without playing, because of results elsewhere. Their last six league games read L W L W W W in the BBC form guide, which means four wins and two defeats, including three league wins in a row.
Against Doncaster, Collins scored four, with Paterson and Ekpiteta adding the others. Collins now has 13 league goals and 16 in all competitions this season.
The MK Citizen reported this week that the players had been given a break, but that the squad Warne picks for the FA Cup “will be a strong one”. We have not captured his full words. The same paper reported that Collins is “keen to keep playing” while the team is scoring freely. In another MK Citizen headline, Collins said a call-up by Wales would be “a dream come true”. We have not seen any confirmation that he has been called up.
MK Dons host Swindon Town in the FA Cup first round on Saturday 7 November at 15:00 GMT. They then visit Bromley in the Jersey Mike’s Trophy on Tuesday 10 November at 19:30. Bromley are bottom of League One.
League football returns on Saturday 14 November at 15:00, at home to Burton Albion, who are 15th. MK Dons then visit Mansfield Town on Saturday 21 November at 15:00 and host Notts County on Saturday 28 November at 12:30.
MK Dons have won four, drawn six and lost three of their 13 league games, with a goal difference of plus two. They are level on 18 points with 13th-placed Wycombe Wanderers and one point behind Leicester City and Mansfield.
Tonight’s game between Oxford United and Reading could move the play-off line. If Reading win or the game is drawn, sixth place would be on 23 points, five ahead of MK Dons. If Oxford win, it stays on 22.
Three league wins in a row, and six goals in the last one, have changed the mood around Stadium MK. The next two weeks will show whether a cup tie, a Trophy game and a break can keep that going into the home game with Burton.
Warne’s choice of team for the Swindon tie will be the first sign of how he balances rest and momentum. The MK Citizen headline suggests he does not plan to weaken the side much, and with Collins keen to keep playing, he may have a striker in form to call on.
The Doncaster side they beat 6–1 are 20th, the last safe place, after taking only one win in their last four league games.
Stadium MK is a modern, all-seater bowl in Denbigh, on the southern side of Milton Keynes. It opened in 2007, holds 30,500, and is home to Milton Keynes Dons. For a visiting supporter the ground is unusually comfortable for this level: padded seats, wide concourses between the tiers, and a clear view from almost every block. The pitch measures 105 metres by 68 metres. Goals sit at the north and south ends, so the North Stand and the South Stand (the Cowshed) are the two ends behind the goals. East and West run along the touchlines.
Away supporters are normally housed in the north-east corner, most often the upper tier of the North Stand (blocks such as U28 and U29 on a typical league allocation). For bigger cup ties the club can open more of the North Stand, including parts of the lower tier. The view from the upper deck is excellent if you take a front row of that section; you look straight down the pitch towards the Cowshed. Enter via Gate 3 and turnstiles 1, 2 and 3 behind the North Stand. Follow the brown “Football Coaches” signs and use the Saxon Street entrance between KFC and McDonald’s rather than mixing with home queues on Grafton Street.
The official address is Stadium Way / Grafton Street, Denbigh, Milton Keynes, MK1 1ST. From the M1 use junction 14 and follow signs for Bletchley or IKEA if you lose the football brown signs. On-site parking is run through RingGo (location code 63466). Pre-booking is cheaper than paying on the day; expect around £8 in advance and £10 on the day, with spaces opening several hours before kick-off. Do not use the neighbouring Asda car park on matchdays. Street parking in Denbigh West industrial estate is a common fallback. Coaches drop close to the away end.
By rail, Bletchley is the nearer station (about a 25–35 minute walk). Fenny Stratford is also walkable. Milton Keynes Central is on the West Coast Main Line from London Euston but sits a few miles north; use a taxi, a local Arriva bus along Saxon Street (X1, X2, X3, X4, 5, 6 and the Loop), or a matchday shuttle if one is running. The walk from Central includes underpasses that feel less appealing after a night game.
There is no traditional football pub on the stadium doorstep. The site is a retail and leisure park: TGI Fridays, Nando’s, Wagamama, Prezzo and the usual fast-food outlets. TGI Fridays will usually serve drinks without a meal and is used by both sets of fans. For a proper pub, head into Bletchley (Captain Ridley’s Shooting Party is the Wetherspoons) or Fenny Stratford (the Red Lion is a regular away stop). Inside the ground, away fans can buy alcohol. Concourse food includes pies, jacket potatoes, pizza and Indian-style street food. The stadium is cashless for food and drink; cash is sometimes still taken at the ticket office.
Turnstile times depend on kick-off. For a 3pm start, general admission is typically from 1.30pm. For 12.30pm it is earlier; for 7.45pm expect gates from about 6.15pm. Stadium MK is all-seated and smoke-free, including e-cigarettes. Stay in your allocated seat once the match is underway. Facilities are among the better ones on the away circuit: decent toilets, lift access, and a concourse high enough that you can still glimpse the pitch while you queue. Check your own club’s allocation on the week of the game, because the exact north-east blocks can shift, but the geography does not: you will be behind the northern goal, looking south towards the Cowshed.