BLACKBURN Rovers striker Fode Koita will not be fit to face MK Dons on Saturday after his injury proved worse than first feared.

But Rovers boss Gary Bowyer believes Koita will come back bigger, stronger and better equipped for the demands of Championship football on his return.

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A hamstring injury ruled the summer signing out of the last two matches before the international break.

It had been hoped that Koita, who is playing outside of France for the first time in his career, would be back to boost Rovers’ ranks ahead of their return to action this weekend against the Dons.

But, while the problem is not serious, the 24-year-old faces a race to be ready for next week’s big Ewood Park double-header against Derby County and Burnley.

Bowyer, who is already without another targetman in Chris Brown, admits Koita’s setback is a disappointment.

But he reckons the former France Under-21 international’s longer than anticipated spell on the sidelines could be a blessing in disguise – as it will allow Koita, who barely featured in pre-season after his free transfer move from Caen, extra time to work with Rovers’ strength and conditioning team.

Bowyer said: “Fode is probably going to be a little bit longer than we first anticipated but it’s important that we get it right.

“What he is doing now is spending time in the gym, building up. He looks a big lad but the physical tests have shown that he has got a lot of work to do.

“And we’re going to use that as a massive positive. We’re going to make him bigger, stronger and better – and that’s exciting.

“He’s a powerful lad now but you have to remember he didn’t really have a pre-season with us, he didn’t really play.

“So we’re going to take advantage of this time and get the right conditioning into him.”

Bowyer will be without Koita, Brown and Jason Lowe for Rovers’ first ever league fixture against the Dons.

But he should be able to call on defender Matt Kilgallon after he returned to training last week – and hopefully Danny Guthrie too.

The midfielder has been sidelined since he sustained a thigh injury early on in the 1-1 draw at Hull City two weeks ago.

But it is expected that Guthrie will join in full training with the rest of his team-mates this week.

With seven first-team players still away or on their way back from international duty Bowyer will once again have limited bodies to work with when his squad return to Brockhall this morning after having the weekend off.

“To be fair you just get on with it,” said Bowyer, who has boosted his numbers by drafting in players from Rovers’ Under-21 team.

“You’re not spending time doing 11 v 11 or anything like that, it’s just about making sure you’re topping the right people up and looking after the ones with knocks and what have you.

“But at the same time you’ve got to maintain levels and keep looking to improving the ones you’ve got.”