Blackburn should be at full strength on the pitch though boss Sam Allardyce remains absent for the Stoke City dug-out.
McDonald has been in temporary charge while Allardyce has undergone minor heart surgery, but with Allardyce hoping to be back behind his desk at the training ground on Monday.
McDonald is anxious to ensure the manager returns with a smile on his face.
Blackburn come into the game looking to shrug off their midweek defeat at Fulham, and their home record this season is very good.
They have lost just once on the opening day to Manchester City - but have since reeled off four wins and a draw from their next five matches.
Recent history is also very much on Blackburn's side as they have won five of their last six league matches against Stoke.
McDonald has reported no fresh injury concerns although the stand-in manager could decide to reshuffle his pack after the disappointment at Craven Cottage.
Benni McCarthy could return to the attack in place of Jason Roberts while winger Morten Gamst Pedersen is itching to play after finding himself out of favour in recent weeks.
Both Brett Emerton and Gael Givet should be available for the match at Ewood Park having missed Wednesday night's 3-0 defeat at Fulham with knee and thigh problems respectively.
Stoke City could move into the top six with victory at Blackburn Rovers. The Potters' excellent maiden campaign in the Premier League last season has been built on with a more than solid start this term.
Stoke have won just one game on their travels this season and they will be hopeful of adding to that at Ewood Park.
Tony Pulis hopes to welcome Glenn Whelan who is expected to have have recovered from a groin strain. Whelan suffered the injury in the Republic of Ireland's World Cup play-off with France, but returned to training with the Potters this week.
Club captain Abdoulaye Faye is available again having missed last Sunday's 1-0 win over Portsmouth through suspension.
REVIEW:
Goalkeepers Thomas Sorensen and Paul Robinson were in inspired form as Blackburn and Stoke's clash at Ewood Park finished goalless.
The Rovers manager’s first game in charge at the club last December resulted in a 3-0 victory against Tony Pulis’ side yet on the day that he was released from hospital following minor heart surgery, his side never looked remotely likely to repeat that feat.
Allardyce underwent an angioplasty procedure yesterday (FRI) to correct problems with his arteries and it is to be hoped he did not tune into this one from his bedside as it is likely to have done little to aid his recovery.
After a bright start, Blackburn faded and looked lethargic following the defeat by Fulham in midweek.
Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen had to look alert in the seventh minute and did well to block a shot from Franco Di Santo after Keith Andrews had created the opening.
But that was as good as it got for Blackburn in the first half.
The visitors hit back and three minutes later. Dean Whitehead should have given them the lead after being put through on goal by Ricardo Fuller but Paul Robinson saved the one-on-one opportunity.
He had earlier squandered another chance from the edge of the box while Franco Di Santo did the same at the other end for an abject looking home side.
Rovers David Dunn was replaced before the break because of injury, depriving the encounter of the only real flair player on display and effectively killing any lingering hopes that this match would explode into a carnival of creativity.
The dirth of quality on display was summed up by Andy Wilkinson’s terrible shank wide soon after the break as he horribly steered a shot wide from close out. It was Sunday League not Premier League and perhaps that is doing a disservice to the nation’s weekend footballers.
Rovers finally woke up though and captain Ryan Nelsen went close with a strangled overhead kick which Thomas Sorensen did well to tip around the post just moments before Steven Nzonzi hit the post from 12 yards out.
Whitehead then spurned another opportunity from dead in front of goal and the growing opinion that this match was simply destined to end goalless was emphatically yet depressingly confirmed in the remaining 25 minutes.
However this was another good performance on the road for Stoke, who are on course to preserving their status again in the top flight.