Rotherham United: Who's banned and who's not for the Millers derby

Rotherham United have confirmed that 12-goal hitman Kieffer Moore is available for Saturday's South Yorkshire showdown with Doncaster Rovers.
Kieffer MooreKieffer Moore
Kieffer Moore

There were fears that the country’s leading scorer could be banned for the League One clash at the Keepmoat Stadium after suggestions he had reached the five-yellow-card mark.

However, the FA have only four bookings listed against the striker’s name, leaving him one further caution away from a suspension.

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Manager Paul Warne told The Star that Moore can play, along with centre-half Michael Ihiekwe and midfielder Darren Potter who have also gone into the referee’s notebook four times.

Left-back Joe Mattock is the only Millers player suspended for the derby.

First-choice goalkeeper Marek Rodak is away on international duty with Slovakia and Warne hinted he could turn to Lewis Price rather than usual stand-in Richard O’Donnell for the trip up the M18.

Price played in Tuesday night’s 3-0 Checkatrade Trophy win and the boss replied when asked if the 33-year had a chance of starting at the Keepmoat: “I can’t see why not.

Michael IhiekweMichael Ihiekwe
Michael Ihiekwe
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He went on: “Pricey played at Bradford. I asked him to play in a certain way and he did. He kept a clean sheet. If he trains the best and catches or eye before Saturday, he’s got as much right to that shirt as Rich or Marek have.

The Millers head to 17th-placed Doncaster in seventh spot but have defensive failings have seen them pick up just one point in their last three league outings. O’Donnell has played in two of those matches and Rodak in the other.

“We’ve been conceding goals and we have to look to change things,” Warne said. “I’m not playing the goalkeeper solely for that. I will pick a team for Saturday that I think will be the most competitive. If that includes Pricey, good luck to him.”

Mattock, eligible to play in the Checkatrade Trophy because it isn’t included in the FA’s disciplinary process, impressed in a rare appearance at centre-half against the Bantams and other players thrust themselves into the manager’s thinking.

Darren PotterDarren Potter
Darren Potter
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“I know Joe can play there,” Warne said. “Here’s played there for England youth. He’s bored me with that story loads of times!

“Tayls (Jon Taylor) needed to take a few more cobwebs off and I think he did well. Fordey (Anthony Forde) put that poor performance at Gillingham behind him. He was excellent.”

Warne, who is based in Tickhill, has even more incentive than usual to win on Saturday.

“I live closer to Donny than Rothers,” he said. “My son goes to school with all Donny fans. He’s begging me not to lose. Hopefully we win and he can go in on Monday in a limo or something.”

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Rotherham have sold more than 3,600 of their 3,916 ticket allocation. Tickets remain on sale until Friday afternoon. There will be no pay-on-the-day otion.

The Millers’ match at Bristol Rovers, originally scheduled for Tuesday November 21, will now take place on Saturday December 2 as both sides are out of the FA Cup.