Rotherham United hoping key defender could return to face Middlesbrough

The left-back has been out since December after suffering an ankle injury which required surgery.

He could come back into contention as the Millers welcome Boro for their fifth game in 12 days.

Warne said: “I thought he might have been involved against Coventry but it wasn't the case.

“He might be available for Wednesday night. It usually takes him couple of games to get fit, historically.

“But needs must. We need to be positive and on the front foot so if I need to play him he will want to.”

Warne also has doubts over defenders Clark Robertson and Angus MacDonald after both picked up injuries in Sunday's 1-0 defeat to Birmingham.

The Millers' survival chances were hit after back-to-back defeats against Coventry and Birmingham, leaving them four points from safety with six games to go.

Warne knows he has a job to lift his squad ahead of the final run-in.

“It is difficult to lift them, I appreciate that,” he said. “When you are winning games every week you feel invincible and when you are losing games you feel very vulnerable.

“We will pick the good bits out of the Birmingham game and show them how they can improve, and if we can freshen the team up we will have to.

“We are dead on our feet so to say I am ‘pleased’ to be playing Middlesbrough is a stretch. “It's an opportunity. It was an opportunity against Birmingham.

“Playing against my old gaffer on Wednesday night is an opportunity to win a game of football but that is all it is.

“We have to take the chances that present themselves and that might be enough to win a game. But I would like a few extra days off, I am not going to lie.”