Dale lacking McIntyre's presence
Rochdale will be without the services of defender Kevin McIntyre when they host Exeter in npower League Two.
McIntyre received his fifth booking of the campaign shortly before half-time during last weekend's 3-2 defeat to York and must serve a one-game ban.
Terry Gornell is set to play the last game of his loan spell before returning to Shrewsbury, but Dale assistant manager Jimmy Bell this week professed a desire to keep the former Accrington forward at Spotland for an extended period.
Ashley Grimes is pushing for a start if boss John Coleman elects to shuffle his attacking options having spent the past two games on the bench, both of which Rochdale have lost.
Highly-rated midfielder Reece Gray resumed some light training duties this week after suffering a broken leg and dislocated ankle in pre-season, but remains two months away from action.
Rochdale and Exeter head into the match level on 30 points, one shy of the play-off places.
Exeter boss Paul Tisdale will be without three players as the Grecians look to bounce back from defeat to Rotherham.
Their 1-0 loss to the Millers saw midfielder Scot Bennett pick up his fifth yellow card of the season, ruling the City youth product out of the Rochdale clash while Guillem Bauza and Tommy Doherty are injured.
Doherty, who signed a new deal with the club last week until the end of the season, picked up a hamstring injury against Steve Evans' men.
Tisdale will be able to welcome back Craig Woodman however after he served his one-game ban, with Jordan Moore-Taylor set to drop to the bench.
Fellow defenders Steve Tully and Pat Baldwin have had time to recover from their knocks while Arron Davies started for the Grecians' reserves in midweek after a spell out with a calf injury.
Source: PA
