Don is fully appreciative of Alan Pardew being frank with him at the beginning of the campaign about his chances at Upton Park, and he explains:
"I'm fit but I don't know if I will start playing; I have had a bit of a chat with the gaffer and he has got his own ideas about the game.
"I have to keep working hard, playing in the reserves, get my head down, and do as best I can for the club.
"I trained fully through the pre-season but I had a little setback when I returned; I have been training twice a day after my knee operation which made it a little bit swollen so I had to step back for about 10 days.
"The club are still paying me so I have to be professional, work as hard as I can, and hopefully I might get my chance."
Don says he has no complaints about not being in Alan Pardew's immediate plans and explains:
"The gaffer has brought his own players in, which I totally understand, and that happens at different clubs - managers have their own players and their own philosophies on the game.
"He has chosen to go down a different route so I respect him - he has been very honest with me, to be fair."
The possibility of moving to a Premiership club has passed for the time being now that the transfer deadline has been and gone and he adds:
"That is a shame though, to be honest, I don't think I am quite match fit enough - so it is probably a good idea that I do my work here, and the physios are pushing me along nicely."
Whether playing or not, he is fully supportive of his colleagues and he says:
"We have a good bunch of lads here - including the manager, who has been really straight with me.
"He could have kept me stringing along but he told me at the start of the season, which was refreshing; it is just a matter of being patient."