Doncaster boss Sean O’Driscoll dismissed the idea that there was ever any chance of the game at Carrow Road being postponed because of his team’s injury problems.

Rovers chairman John Ryan said it would be “unfair” for the game to go ahead because they had 14 players on the sidelines.

But O’Driscoll said after the 1-1 draw that a postponement would have set a dangerous precedent.

He said: “The game was never going to be called off. That just makes a nice story for the media.

“I imagine if that would have happened, the floodgates would have been opened and created a precedent for every team if they’ve got injuries. I said to the boys if we can’t compete in this division with injuries then we shouldn’t be in the division. It’s as simple as that.”

O’Driscoll admitted, however, that it had not been easy with so many senior players out.

He said: “We’ve got double figures – a whole team sitting on the treatment table. So it is difficult but I don’t think anybody is going to feel sorry for us. Certainly Ipswich didn’t and Swansea didn’t.

“We’ve just got to get on with it. Don’t think we’ve used this as an excuse because we’ve just not been good enough in the games we’ve lost. Our spirit’s been good. We were 6-0 down at home to Ipswich and we were still trying to score.

“But we’ve not defended well all season. We’ve given poor goals away. Even the goal Norwich scored, we think we should have done better on that one. It’s been our Achilles heel whether we’ve got a full squad or half a squad.”

He was delighted, though, to take a point after four successive defeats.

“It’s about time. For various reasons we’ve not really been competitive in this division. If we’re not competitive we’re going to struggle to get results,” he said.

“We looked more balanced, we looked a threat. I think we deserved something.

“Norwich were an excellent team earlier in the season when we played them at home and I’ve watched them two or three times in League One, so we were well prepared.”

City boss Paul Lambert said talk of Doncaster being under-strength was “disrespectful”.

He said: “The lads are honest professionals who come in and try everything they can for the club, so I knew it was never going to be an easy game.

“ I’ve never seen an easy game, I’ve never been involved in one so I didn’t expect this one to be easy.”